Hyperdimension Neptunia: Green Sister
by Compass Wind
Summary: As the four original Goddesses prepare to retire, the Candidates are suddenly overcome by an overwhelming urge to kill. When IF too becomes afflicted with the same bloodlust, she begins to question her memories and her identity, which has now been cast in doubt. Ancient entities reawaken, a battle for dominance rages between gods, and Gamindustri is plunged into chaos once more.
1. Chapter 1

**[Chapter 1.0]**

Uni forces herself to jump one last time, ducking into an alleyway and disappearing behind some boxes, breathing heavily. As the footsteps of the Lastation guards pass by her hiding place, shouting something indistinct, she carefully checks on her shotgun and finds it still in pristine condition. The only thing missing is a single shell - the shell she had used to almost kill a human being.

Thank god it was only almost. Had the bullet gone even slightly to the right, or been a fraction of a second quicker, the girl would be dead, a piece of lead buried in the depths her heart, which would have stopped beating. She would have been a murderer.

 _Murderer._ The word echoes through her mind, quickening her heartbeat, causing her to break out in a nervous sweat for the third time that day. _Murderer._

* * *

 _There had been no real reason for her to do it. The girl had simply been walking on the street, minding her own business. She, too, had simply been out on a shopping trip, looking for some new parts to upgrade her gun with, just to kill time. She had been scheduled to meet with Nepgear later on in the afternoon, after the latter finished with a kill quest in a town to the south of Planeptune's capital city, near the little town of Celeste, so she had been in high spirits._

 _Then, an uncontrollable urge had come over her, without warning, like the proverbial anvil falling from the sky onto a sinner's head, leaving her no time to even think of resisting. She needed to hurt, to wound, to kill. It was a need even more pressing, even more powerful, than a body's need for oxygen, or the Goddess's need for shares in order to maintain their power. Her vision blurred out, covered by a red film._

 _Her body had moved of it's own accord, and before she could react, she had raised her gun, fired at the girl. Thankfully, the girl had seen her taking aim and desperately dove for cover, so the bullet did nothing more than punch a bloody hole through her right arm. It's painful, and would take forever to heal, even with the aid of alchemical potions, but it's better than being dead._

 _She had stood there, staring blankly at the smoking barrel of her gun, not moving a muscle, unable to believe what she had just done. Mercilessly shot at a civilian, only to satisfy her own urges - the fact that she had never experienced anything like it counted for little. What does that make her? Nothing more than a criminal? Who was she to act as Candidate, protect the nation, when she harmed one of her people so easily and without remorse? And it was true. Try as she might, she could not feel guilt._

 _Only when the familiar sound of the boots Lastation guards wore clicking against the ground found its way to her ears did she realise what trouble she was in._

 _Without thinking, she turned and fled._

* * *

"What have I done..." she murmurs, her breath coming only in agonisingly random spurts, "Noire would be so disappointed... Nepgear... what would she say to me..."

She slides down onto the ground, burying her head in her arms, trying to make herself as small as possible, to disappear from this world, at least until what she had done had been forgotten. Why? What had come over her? Most importantly, what was she going to do now?

Going back to the Basilicom is out of the question. She'd be arrested right away, and there's no way she'd dare to turn her gun to the guards pursuing her, not even just to fire a few shots at their feet to scare them off - it's not like she'd actually shoot to kill. Not after _that_. She could contact Noire, but she doesn't have the courage. To explain to her sister what she had done would be unthinkable. The way she would look at her, eyes full of disappointment, confusion, and maybe even fear - how could she stand that? But if she stays here and does nothing, she'll be found sooner rather than later.

She's running out of time. There's no other option. Nepgear - she would know what to do. She would listen. She'd help. Her hands shaking slightly, Uni reaches into her pocket and retrieves her cell phone, her fingers tapping in the eight numbers that would get her in contact with the one person in the world she trusts above everyone and anyone else. The connection will be immediate, and the Purple Sister will receive a notification, warning her that the matter is urgent.

She taps the last number, and brings her phone up to her ears. She doesn't dare to turn on visuals - the call might be intercepted and observed, and doing so might reveal her location. "N-Nepgear?"

* * *

The lilac purple-haired girl in question is currently in the thick of a massive battle. Surrounded by four S-Class floating monsters with bulbous, glowing abdomens and draconic features, she is fighting, literally, for her life. Regardless of how she had planned on conserving energy to go flying around with Uni in the afternoon, now was not the time to hold back.

"Processor Unit, activate!" she calls, and her body is engulfed in light, her clothes transforming into a white bodysuit, two semi-transparent pinkish wings appearing out of nowhere, hovering slightly behind her shoulder blades. Her ace-in-the-hole, the Hard Drive Divinity, a perk of being a CPU, if only just a candidate. Her speed and strength instantly multiplied tenfold, she jumps up and lands a direct hit on the first monster's forehead, sending it reeling.

Another monster swipes at her, and she quickly dives under it's attack, skimming under it facing upwards with her wings almost touching the ground, firing several shots into it's sensitive abdomen. As the beast screams in pain and rage, she quickly gains altitude again, surveying the battlefield from in the air. The four beasts, which she had lured away from the nearby town of Celeste, were concentrated beneath her, their meagre levitation powers being insufficient for them to chase her so high up into the clouds.

A 'bling' sound interrupts her thoughts, as a blue, translucent screen pops up on the side of her vision. A message, and an urgent one. "What the goodness - Emergency... From Uni?" she murmurs, "Why now, of all times?"

She glances down, and sees the monsters losing interest, beginning to turn back to where more humans were gathered for their consumption. She's running out of time - action needs to be taken, and fast, especially if Uni is in danger and needs her help. There's no choice but to multitask. She taps the display, and the connection is made.

"N-Nepgear?" Uni's voice is shaking and clearly distressed."Are you there?"

"Uni! Are you all right? What happened?" She asks, swooping back down and firing at the fastest monster's retreating back, drawing it's attention to her again, "Why are you calling me?"

"I - I don't know what happened to me - Nepgear, is that gunfire?"

"Yes - I'm doing a kill quest right now." She replies, swerving to the right to evade a fireball spewed in her direction and continuing to fire at the monster, "It's okay, just tell me what's going on. I'll be right there when I finish, I promise."

"Well, I was walking on the street this morning, and I-"

Nepgear dives, twirling backwards through the air and firing shots at each of the four monsters in turn, taunting them, angering them, forcing them to focus on her and not on the people evacuating the town. When all for of them are focused on her once more, she swings around and fires several shots into the nearest one's forehead.

"- S-something came over me, I don't know what happened, all I saw was -"

She flies through the air, landing on the previous one's forehead and and stabbing her blade directly into it's cranium, causing the beast to roar in pain, flailing around and slamming into the ground. She continues to slash at it as it falls, opening up multiple gaping wounds in it's forehead. Blood spurts everywhere, and the sickening sound of tearing flesh fills the air.

"- It's like everything suddenly went red, and - Nepgear? What's going on? Why -" Uni's voice, previously still relatively calm, now had a definite air of panic to it.

The first beast falls, dead on the ground, and Nepgear turns to the second, spinning around in the air once as she swerves to be behind it, unleashing several powerful shots straight into a piece of exposed skin on it's side. A strange, creeping redness begins to overcome her vision as the beast howls in agony, and she slams her body into it, driving her blade into the monster's stomach, twisting it around like a corkscrew. A wholly unnecessary gesture, calculated only to inflict pain.

"Nepgear, answer me, Nepgear! Nepgear!"

She's losing herself. Her body is tingling, and the part of her that is still aware of her own actions realises that it feels _good_. The feeling of her blade passing through flesh like water, tearing it apart, hearing the anguished screams of her victims - it's like music to her ears. She draws her sword out from the monster's side, slamming it into the back of its skill and splitting it in two.

"Nepgear, what's that sound? Why are you laughing?"

She's laughing - she realises that now. Uncontrollable, maniacal laughter escapes from her lungs, blending together with the monster's final scream before it collapses on the ground, unconscious. She moves onto the next one. _More. Scream more, bleed more. Cover my body with your blood. Sooth my ears with your screams. Dance for me._

"Nepgear, what are you saying? Nepgear!"

The third east pulls back slightly as she approaches it, fear evident in it's eyes. They are the first to go, her blade inserted through them, straight into the monster's brain. It writhes in the air before crashing into the ground, flailing about blindly, squealing as it attempts to swat the purple-haired Candidate out of the air. _Uni, can you hear it scream? Isn't it a beautiful sound, Uni? Let me hear more. More! Uni, listen!_

"Nepgear, what do you - What's happening? Stop it! Nepgear!"

Only the last one left. _Can you hear it screaming, Uni? Isn't it wonderful?_ Her body isn't hers to control any more, nothing more than a slave to bloodlust and sadistic pleasure. "Celestial Severance!" Her sword glows with a bright, white light, as the fleeing monster is instantly engulfed in a series of brutal, almost instantaneous slashes, it's life drained away in the blink of an eye. _Listen, Uni! Listen!_

The last monster crashes onto the ground, lifeless, it's now-silent, bleeding body slowly disintegrating into nothingness just as those of its comrades do the same. A silence falls over the forest, broken only by Nepgear's uneven breathing. The last, dying cries of her final victim echo slightly before fading away.

"Nepgear?" Uni asks, her voice even more unsteady than it was before, carrying with it a sense of terror, more unnerved by the silence that followed than the sounds of the slaughter that had occured just seconds ago, "W-what's going on? H-hey, are you there? Nepgear?"

"Uni... what's happening to me? Uni, what's... why... Who are you..." The line goes dead as the candidate's body, suddenly drained of all energy, falls forward, onto the ground, unconscious, her clothes soaked through and through with the putrid redness of the monsters' blood.

A blue display pops up, although no-one is there to see it. It reads: "Kill Quest Completed."

* * *

Far away in Lowee's capital, it's snowing, as it always is. In the courtyard of CPU White Heart's residence, two young girls are bent over the contorted, unmistakably dead body of a squirrel, it's blood seeping into the snow, dyeing it red. Just seconds ago, it had been squealing in pain, calling out in its primitive squirrel language for its parents, before its life had suddenly been ended by the snapping of its neck and the crushing of it's body.

"Ram... I'm scared, Ram..." the one with shorter hair murmurs, tears in her eyes, "What's... what's happening? Why did we... Why was everything red...?"

The one with longer hair, usually the one to provide comfort and support, has no words for her sister this time. But she knows that she must be strong one, so she reaches out and takes her younger sister by the hand. "It's okay, Rom, Blanc will know - Mina will..." she says, trying to be comforting as she heads inside, but failing on account of the tears streaming down her own face. She attempts to think of something to say, but can't.

The two of them disappear into Lowee's Basilicom, shaking, clinging onto each other, their clothes still splattered - albeit only slightly, a squirrel can only bleed so much - with blood. Their two wands lie criss-crossed on the ground where they had dropped them, the glow of the telekinesis spell that had lifted the squirrel up into the air and wrung the life out of it still not entirely faded from the gems at their tip.

* * *

IF blinks the sleep away from her eyes. It's afternoon now, and the pale orange ceiling of her room within the Planeptune basilicom is lit up faintly by the sunlight streaming through the open windows. She had been on a late night solo espionage mission the previous day, all the way in Leanbox, to ascertain some rumours about them developing some sort of new anti-crystal technology. So, her short nap was anything if not well-deserved.

Looking down at herself, IF notes that she hadn't bothered to change into her pyjamas before collapsing into bed. Strange, but not completely unusual. The thought that she ought to have paid Vert a visit before she left crosses her mind, but it's too late to go back now. She hadn't bothered to wash herself, either, so she still smells vaguely of sweat and... something else.

That's when she notices the knife in her hand.

"What..." she murmurs, still not entirely awake, staring at the blade with a blank expression on her face. She does own a rather extensive collection of knives, but she is certain that this one isn't hers. It's a very good one, as well - the glinting blackness of the blade means that it's well-polished, and it's weight is perfect, not too light to be effective, but not too heavy either.

She sniffs the air again, and she catches it this time, more clearly - the previously undefined stench in the air, the smell of dried blood. She looks down at herself, but can't find the source. Her clothes and her own body are clean, but the smell remains, taunting her, laughing at her inability to discover its source.

 _Green Sister, do you remember now?_

IF blinks, looking around desperately in an attempt to find the source of the voice that had spoken to her, but finding none. Never before has she experienced anything quite like this. A mixture of curiosity, confusion, and most importantly, _fear_. The feeling of having something sinister inside your mind, where you can't see it, much less fight it, isn't a pleasant one.

 _Green Sister, can you feel it?_

"Who are you?" She asks, keeping her cool. While she isn't a Goddess, she is still a member of the guild, as well as one of Planeptune's most efficient information agents. Acting calmly in unknown and frequently terrifying situations is part of her job.

She runs the name over in her mind. Green Sister. Just like Nepgear was Purple Sister and Uni Black Sister, this voice was calling her Green Sister. It's an easy connection to make, but at the same time, it makes no sense. She is a normal human - that, at least in her mind is an undeniable fact. No matter how much she would like to be gifted with the powers of a CPU, to rule alongside Vert forever, nothing will change the fact that she was born a human and will stay that way.

 _Your lust, your greed, your anger, can you feel it, Green Sister? Do you remember now, Green Sister?_

"Stop calling me that." She replies, a bit too quickly and a bit too shakily, "Where are you? Why are you here?"

 _I'm inside you, Green Sister. Do you remember now, Green Sister? Can you feel it yet, Green Sister?_

"Stop." She replies, her voice cracking slightly, her palms getting clammy, her heartbeat accelerating. There's something surfacing inside of her, something foreign, unknown, terrifying but at the same time welcoming. "What are you doing? Show yourself!"

 _I'm not doing anything, Green Sister. You are doing this to yourself, Green Sister, this is you. Can you remember, Green Sister? Green Sister, are you ignoring me? Don't ignore me, Green Sister. Soon, you won't be able to ignore me any longer, Green Sister. Green Sister. Green Sister._

IF shivers slightly, suddenly assailed by a biting cold unlike anything she has experienced before. There's something vaguely ridiculous about the way the voice insistently repeated her title, but that very ridiculousness is terrifying in it's own way. Her hands shake, her room blurs out in front of her, a creeping redness making its way into her vision. Inside her, a new, unfamiliar but extremely pressing need begins to surface. The need to harm, to main, to kill. To watch gleefully as the eyes of her victim go dull, and the life drains from their body. The knife in her hand grows unbearably heavy, it's blade humming, eagerly anticipating the moment it will be used.

"Get out... Stop calling me that...it... w... what are you doing?" She asks, her voice no louder than a whisper, fused with an incontrollable, overpowering terror. "I'm not Green Sister, I'm not who you think I am. Leave me alone. Leave me alone!"

 _Can you feel it, Green Sister? Do you remember now?_

IF grimaces, turning the knife over in her hand, simultaneous urges - to kill and to flee, to hide - battling each other, two homunculi within her head having a debate that can't exactly be described as civil. The part of her mind that remains unaffected by the intense bloodlust welling up within her tells her to seek help. But more importantly, she has to disarm herself, before it gets worse, and the horrific vision of blood pooling on the ground, drawn by her own blade becomes a reality.

She blinks, and, whirling around, flings the knife away with every last ounce of her strength. She had been half-expecting it to be glued to her hand or something, but thankfully it isn't, and lodges itself deep into the wall, sinking in all the way to it's hilt. The sound of the impact, loud and sudden, seems to have at least temporarily silenced the voice in her head.

Panting heavily, leaning against the wall and drenched in sweat, IF stares at the knife like it's some kind of terrifying beast, the red that had been overtaking her vision slowly receding.

"What... what in God's name was that?"

* * *

A/N: Okay, that's it for now. This chapter was mostly just set-up, the 'real' plot will be starting soon enough.

Hope you enjoyed it, updates coming 'soon' (by that, I mean 'the next time I can be bothered').

* * *

Another Note: After someone PMed me with a bit of confusion regarding this, I thought I'd make it clear here. This story is set in an Alternate Universe, in which (almost) all the characters exist within a single dimension (i.e. Plutia/Peashy, Seven Sages, CPUs, ASIC, etc), and the stories of Hyperdimension and Ultradimension are sort of woven into one single history. Nothing that has taken place within the games has occured, except for the characters meeting each other and becoming friends. If you've read Overheat (great fanfic by the way), it's sort of like that.

Again, thanks for reading.

* * *

 _Another_ Note: Okay, so I'm a bit of an idiot, and I screwed that last one up. Hyperdimension, Ultradimension, Heart/Zero Dimension all exist, with their own histories and all that jazz. So just ignore the part about their histories being fused and them not existing as separate dimensions.


	2. Chapter 2

[1.1]

IF grimaces, slipping her hand into one of her coat's many pockets and pulling out her pink cell phone - the one she uses for personal matters. As her right hand dials Compa's number, her left hand quickly disposes of all the weapons she has on her person, depositing them all in a corner far away from her bed, where she is currently sitting. That way, if whatever _that_ was came over her again, she'd be safely away from anything she could use to harm anyone.

The nurse picks up immediately, probably because she generally has nothing much on her hands these days. Planeptune has been at peace for a long time, and few monsters have been turning up, so having to treat a patient is becoming a rarer and rarer occurrence. A blessing, in more ways than one. "Iffy? Why are you calling me?"

"Can you get in touch with Histoire?" IF asks, trying to keep her voice steady, if only not to worry her friend, "It's urgent. Really urgent."

"I'm sorry," Compa says, "But Histy is really, really busy right now, with something really, really important."

"Please, this is urgent." the brunette says, not wanting to repeat herself but unable to find any better words, "Really urgent. What's she attending to?"

"It's Ge-Ge. We don't know what happened, but we found her passed out near Celeste a few minutes ago. We're tending to her right now. She was murmuring something about seeing all red..."

IF almost drops the phone, but pulls herself together in time. "Hey, just... you're right there, right? Can I just listen in? I'll be quiet, if that'll disturb you." She hoped that she didn't sound desperate, if only because that would worry Compa.

"S-sure, if you want." the nurse replies, thoroughly confused, but helpful nonetheless.

* * *

Nepgear blinks, the world around her nothing more than a blurred haze of multicoloured shapes with indistinct boundaries. For a second, she wonders where she is and how she got there, but that question is very, very quickly answered. A small jolt of electricity runs through her body, causing her to yelp in surprise, and her vision clears.

She's in the Planeptune Basilicom, lying on her own bed. Three people, all of them familiar, are sitting by her side. From left to right, she looks at their faces and speaks their name. "Histoire... Compa... Neptune... what's going on?"

Planeptune's Oracle, Histoire, opens her mouth to explain, but Neptune beats her to it, tackling her prone sister in a massive hug. "Nep Junior! How're you holding up? Does your head hurt? What happened to you? Did you run into Arfy? Piss off Blanc? Fight with Uni?"

"Neptune! This is a serious situation." the petite, book-riding girl yells, silencing the hyperactive Goddess, before turning her attention back to said 'situation'. "Nepgear, are you feeling all right?"

"Y-yes... although my head still hurts a little." The candidate replies, gently prying her clingy elder sister off her. "Sis, you're heavy..."

As Neptune and Compa take the time to personally verify her continued wellbeing by checking each and every part of her body for injuries, Histoire continues to ask questions without regard for the commotion. "Compa found you passed out on the ground near Celeste, and brought you back here immediately. Do you remember what happened there?"

"I... I was doing a kill quest. IF asked me to take it over from her because she was too tired." Nepgear replies, talking slowly. Her memories are hazy to her and take some effort to remember, but they're definitely still there. "There were more monsters than the quest giver had said, 4, I think. I drew them away from Celeste and engaged them in combat..."

Her voice trailing off a little, she falls into silence. Neptune, worried, pokes her on the cheek. "Hey, Nep Junior, you all right? Did you, uh, take a knock to the head or something?"

"U-Uni called me. She seemed sort of freaked out, but I didn't hear what she said. I started attacking the monsters while listening to her talk, then I suddenly started to see all red..." Nepgear murmured, sounding more and more confused and distraught by the second, "I think I heard myself laughing, and Uni was calling my name, and then... I don't remember anything else."

The room falls into silence.

* * *

IF, listening in on the conversation through Compa's phone, shudders slightly. Already, the idea of her being 'Green Sister' was seeming less far fetched, considering that 'Purple Sister' was experiencing the same things she was. Just before she can open her mouth and attempt to Histoire that she was experiencing the same symptoms, Nepgear's panicked voice cuts her off.

"Wait, Uni! She's in trouble!" the Candidate is yelling, suddenly overcome by an intense feeling of urgency, "She called me using the emergency line. We've got to help her! Someone call her!"

"O-okay!" Compa's flustered voice sounds over the line, "Sorry, Iffy! I'll talk to you later, I promise!"

The sounds of rustling cloth and someone's hand picking up the phone forces IF into action. No matter what, she needs to get through to Histoire as soon as possible, before things get worse. The oracle needs to know that this isn't just an isolated case. "Compa!" She yells, raising her voice for the first time in what feels like ages, "Wait! Don't shut off the phone! I need to talk to Histoire!"

No response. The clicking sound of a phone being turned off. The line goes dead.

Reacting quickly, IF's fingers fly over the phone's touchscreen, attempting to call Neptune, then Nepgear herself - Histoire herself doesn't carry a phone. Both calls are met only with only static - not even a ringtone is played. The Planeptune Oracle must have deployed some sort of signal jamming field, so their conversation with Uni wouldn't be spied on.

IF grimaces, and, trying her best to refrain from cursing, slips her phone back into her pocket and slumps down on the bed. That's when she remembers that her body's drenched in sweat and probably smells like she hadn't bothered to clean herself since the start of the decade.

Sighing, she pushes herself up and, taking care to stay as far as she can from her weapons, makes her way into her bathroom. While she waited for them to finish with Nepgear and Uni, she could at least clean herself up, and maybe calm herself down a bit. There's nothing quite like a warm bath to relieve stress.

* * *

Noire swore that if this goes on any longer, she'd lose her mind.

First, someone hacks into their top secret Anti-Crystal research department, but doesn't plant any malware or copy any data.

Anti-Crystal is a completely new element, discovered completely by chance when one of her guild members took a wrong turn in the dungeon. Soon, similar deposits started turning up all over Gamindustri. The mineral had a massive energy content, and immediately became a top priority and top secret project for Lastation's researchers. For the research base to have been infiltrated is almost unthinkable. But it happened.

Second, she received a call from Vert, saying that Leanbox's research facilities had been infiltrated. Third, when she attempted to call Neptune and Blanc to ask about _their_ facilities, neither of them picked up - both lines only returned some ear-grating static noise. Now, just to top it all off, _Uni_ of all people goes missing, after shooting at a civilian, no less.

"Aarrggghh!" She yells, pounding her fist on the table in an uncharacteristic flip-out moment, "Just what the hell is going on? With the CPU shift period coming so soon, as well... Why is everything going wrong?"

"Lady Noire, calm yourself." Kei, Lastation's oracle and very much the more calm and collected of the two is in the room as well, having been called there on emergency notice minutes ago. "I'm sure that there is an reasonable explanation for this."

Noire sighs, much calmer now after her outburst, and falls forward, resting her head on the table, "You're right, there has to be." She murmurs, "For all we know, these events might not even be connected. But Uni takes priority. We've got to get her back."

"As you wish." The silver-haired oracle replies, knowing already how stubborn the goddess she served can be. A loud 'ding' sound interrupts her thoughts before she can carry them any further. "My lady, Neptune wishes to contact us."

Noire blinks and sits bolt upright. "Neptune?" she asks, then, immediately realising that she sounded a bit _too_ happy about that, changes her tone, "Put her on. And how many times do I have to tell you to drop all the 'lady' stuff? Just call me Noire."

On cue, the previously dull screen on the west wall of Noire's office comes to life, first fizzling blue and then forming into an image of Neptune, Compa, Histoire, and Nepgear, all of them looking like they had just seen a ghost. Noire's complaint about being ignored barely a half-hour ago to dies in her throat, never to see the light of day.

"Hey, Noirey..." Neptune's normally happy-go-lucky voice has a slight edge to it as it sounds through the speakers, "Would you happen to know where your darling sister is? Nep Junior here tried to give her a call, but we couldn't get through, so we're sorta worried."

* * *

Vert sighs, snapping the lid of her laptop shut, bags under her eyes. With the CPU shift period coming up and no candidate lined up to take her place, she has had a lot less time on her hands than the others, a problem made worse by her habit of spending hours locked away in her room, playing video games. Chika is hardworking and talented, but it's impossible for her to be Oracle and Goddess at the same time. Before the year ends, she has to find a heir.

If she doesn't, her nation will fall into ruin.

Without divine protection, it would be overrun by monsters within a year, or assimilated into either Planeptune or Lastation. Or both. She can't let such a fate befall the country she had worked so hard and so long to build.

"Vert..." Chika says, similarly worn out, her voice filled to the brim with concern. She knows that she's grasping at straws by asking this, but what Vert is trying to do has never been done before and carries extreme risks. Risks that she'd rather not take. "Have you ever considered bring her back?"

"No." the Goddess snaps, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I won't consider it. Not now, or ever. She isn't fit to rule a nation, not after what I did to her. Someone else will succeed me when the time comes. We just have to find them."

The green-haired oracle sighs, closing her eyes and leaning forward on her chair. The fact that her goddess had never quite gotten over what had happened all those years ago is not lost on her. Back then, she had tried in vain to convince her that it wasn't her fault, that there were other factors beyond her control at play, that she couldn't have known about the results. But it hadn't worked.

While she doesn't like it, when Vert's this firm about something, no amount of talk would get her to back down. After living together for centuries, both of them know that very well. If she says that they will find another successor, another successor will have to be found.

"Chika," Vert says, smiling at the oracle, her voice changing for the gentler, "You're tired. Go and rest."

Chika nods, seeing no point in attempting to hold out any longer - she would be unable to work in her sleep-deprived condition anyways. Thanking Vert, she makes her retreat from Green Heart's quarters to catch some shut-eye in her own. Organising the events that were soon to follow had drained her perhaps more than it had drained Vert herself. The instant the door to her room is sealed shut, she collapses into bed and falls into a deep, thankfully dreamless sleep.

Now alone, Vert turns around on her chair to pick up another document, scanning it for any errors. Finding none, she tosses it into the pile of checked papers and moves on to the next. The task is mind-numbingly boring, but at the same time, these documents are of such importance that nobody but the Goddess, Oracle and Candidate of a nation can check them. And she had lost _her_ Candidate long ago. There had been nothing she could do - too much had gone wrong.

That's why she's doing this alone now, after all.

Sighing, she allows her thoughts to drift to more pleasant matters. Soon, she would be paying the Planeptune Basilicom a visit, both to investigate the reason behind the breach of security within her Anti-Crystal research labs, and to catch up with her friends. A contented smile forms on her face as she thinks about how much fun she'll have teasing IF when they meet.

The faint hum of a magic circle and the sound of something hard clicking against the wooden floor of her room snaps her out of her thoughts. Reacting quickly, she stands up and summons her spear, already regretting her earlier decision of leaving the lights off and working by the faint glow of her desktop screen. The darkness of her room makes it impossible for her to make out who the intruder is.

"Who goes there?" she asks, sinking into a defensive stance. "Show yourself!"

"Relax, fair goddess, I simply wish to negotiate a deal." An unfamiliar female voice says, "The Gate of the Fate Stone is kind, and I am its messenger. We mean you no harm."

* * *

A/N: That's it for now. This chapter was _going_ to be longer, but I ran out of time, energy, and inspiration (sorry). Blanc, Uni, more IF, and some more plot will come next chapter. Note that this fic might deviate from canon on certain things, especially about how the world (share energy, cpus, etc) functions.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it :)


	3. Chapter 3

[1.2]

The CPU shift period. The single most volatile period in the never-ending cycle of Gamindustri's constant evolution, a measure imposed by Celestia itself in order to after the realm fell into stagnation for the first time, as a result of the collapse of Tari and the fallout that followed.

Once every millennium, the current goddesses step down from their throne and allow another to take over, almost always the current CPU candidate. They relinquish their powers and live through the rest of their lives as simple humans, no longer connected to the Sharicite, with a new Goddess ruling over their nation. The rationale is that by keeping the conditions constantly changing, the nations will continue to advance.

She has waited two thousand years for this chance. This one, final chance to take back what she has lost, to enact revenge on the one that had taken it all from her. The plan has been set into motion, and will not be stopped.

In just one month, after the shift is complete, she will reign over Gamindustri again.

* * *

Blanc is not in the best of moods - a fact that is made very clear by the charred remains of what had once been her table, and the axe that's lodged very comfortably into the floor of her 'office', which doubles as her bedroom and library.

"Who the hell are you?" she yelled, scanning her room for any signs of the intruder but finding none, "If you want to talk, just show me your god damn face already!"

"No can do." an annoyingly high pitched, squeaky voice replies, seemingly coming from all around her at once, "I didn't sign up for this to get turned into mincemeat, chu."

The short-haired goddess sighs and sits herself down on her armchair, her previous outburst having been enough to at least temporarily quell her fury. Her hammer blinks in and out of existence for a second and then disappears into thin air. "So, why are you here?" she asks, forcing her voice to return to the calm almost-monotone she normally spoke in.

"To negotiate a deal with you, chu." the voice says, "We have the means to cure your sisters. If you're interested-"

"What the fuck did you do to my sis-" Blanc begins, before holding herself back. While it's painfully obvious to her that the enemy behind Rom and Ram's sudden loss of control is most likely the same entity as the one she's now talking to, it would do them no good if she flew into a berserk rage and killed the only person who has a cure. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I'm only a messenger, chu." the voice replies, "I can't tell you any more until you say that you're interested, chu."

It doesn't feel good, agreeing to the demands of the very same person who's causing the problem in the first place, but she has no choice, and they both know it. Rom and Ram are in many respects the most important thing in the world to her, and that's _before_ taking the upcoming shift period into consideration. If there's anything she has to do to cure them of whatever had come over them, she'll do it.

She herself had been in the middle of negotiating an incredibly important business deal with Avenir, a weapons company based in Lastation. So when Rom and Ram had come bursting into her room shaking and splattered with blood, she hadn't been able to do anything except give them a hug and send them off to rest in their room, with Mina to keep them company.

Later, the oracle had informed her that she had checked their physical forms as well as their connections to the Lowee Sharicite, and found that some sort of foreign energy was being leaked into their bodies from somewhere south of the capital. But that had been all she could discover.

The only person who knows more than Mina about the sharicites would be Histoire herself, who is unable to directly influence the world using the full extent of her powers for a host of reasons. So, chances are that if Mina can't do anything about it, nobody can. Except, of course, the owner of this incredibly annoying voice.

"I'm interested." She growls.

"That's good, chu." the voice says, "I'll inform them immediately. You won't have to wait long, chu." There's a soft scurrying sound as the 'messenger' takes his leave, before the room falls silent again.

Blanc sighs and leans back onto her chair, smashing her fist into the wall behind her and causing a few cracks to spread through the plaster. This feeling of helplessness, not being able to do anything except wait for some shady organisation to contact her - she doesn't like it, not one bit. But it has to be done. For Ram's sake, for Rom's sake, for the sake of Lowee. The CPU shift period is closing in, and she needs her heirs to, at the very least, be mentally stable.

Without warning, the screen of her desktop blinks open, lighting up in a strange, fizzling grey. Surprised, she turns to face it, watching as an unfamiliar symbol swims onto the display - a large, cross-like shape, surrounded by seven circles, each a slightly different shade of grey. A gruff, somewhat wheezy male voice comes through the device's speakers.

"CPU White Heart, I speak on behalf of the Seven Sages." the voice says, its uncanny familiarity - despite her never having heard this person talk before, ever - sending chills down Blanc's back. "I'm glad to hear that you are willing to negotiate with us. Now, let's get down to business, shall we? I'm a very busy man with a very busy schedule to keep."

* * *

The soft, incessant sound of water dripping from a damp stalactite onto the ground is what wakes Uni from a sleep that she definitely didn't fall into through natural means. She attempts to sit up, but is instantly hit with a wave of dizziness as well as an intense headache, so she quickly falls back down into a sleeping position.

Noting that her arms and legs feel incredibly heavy, she tries to look at them without moving her head, and sees that four cyan-coloured, glowing rings have been locked onto her wrists and ankles. They aren't attached to anything, and aren't restricting her movements, so she decides to ignore them for now and focus on more important matters.

First off, why is she here? She had just been talking to Nepgear, and then she felt something sharp stabbing into her arm. Her world had gone dark, and now... she's lying on the ground inside a cave. Speaking of Nepgear... something had been happening to her, and it hadn't been good. Was she okay? Why did she go all crazy like that? Did it have something to do with how she suddenly shot at-

Uni blinks and shakes her head, trying to suppress her feeling of rising panic. There's no good thinking about that right now. Before she can get all worried about Nepgear, she has to get a grip on her _own_ situation.

She's underground, that much is certain, judging by the rocky ceiling above her and the coldness of the rocks she's lying on. The entire dungeon is faintly illuminated by a pale, blueish light - anti-crystal. Noire had taken the effort to show her around Lastation's anti-crystal research facilities and mines, so she'd recognise that glow anywhere.

"What happened to me?" she murmurs, unaware that she's speaking her thoughts out loud, "Where am I?"

"You were captured, just like me," a voice says from her left, causing Uni to sit up in surprise then fall right back down, "Brave brought you here about two hours ago. How are you feeling?"

More slowly this time, the candidate turns her head towards the source of the voice, her eyes scanning the almost-featureless walls of the cavern for any signs of human disturbance. Her eyes stop when she notices the girl that's chained to the wall a few feet above the ground, her hands and feet locked in place by several layers of rings made from all sorts of materials.

Her long red hair, tied into twintails on both sides of her head, is messy and sticking up all over the place, most likely as a result of her imprisonment. Her shirt is unbuttoned all except for a single one over her chest, baring her midriff, and her feet are bare, with some strange black cloth pooling around her ankles. A single megaphone and a strange, greenish device that looks like it goes on the wrist lie on the ground at her feet.

What a strange fashion sense.

"Who are you? Who's Brave? Why are we here?" Uni asks, all of her questions flowing out of her without pause. The fact that the girl is also chained to the wall most likely means that they're on the same side. As the old saying goes, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'.

The girl on the wall chuckles good-naturedly before responding. "Wow, a lot of questions, huh? Well, I can't really blame you. The name's Uzume, Tennouboshi Uzume." she says, "Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"Oh! Um, I'm Uni." the candidate says, slightly flustered. She has always been sort of awkward socially, and the fact that she's talking to a girl who's chained to a wall while being held prisoner herself isn't exactly helping things. Neither is the splitting headache. "Nice to meet you too."

"Uni, huh? That's a nice name." Uzume says, somehow managing to sound cheery despite her current situation. "Anyways, Brave is the name of the guy in charge of us. He's basically a giant robot, looks sort of like a Gundam. As for your other question... I've got no idea. In fact, I can't really remember anything about how I got here."

"Really?" Uni asks, blinking in surprise. "That's strange. Are you-"

"Shh!" Uzume hisses, her tone quickly switching to one full of urgency, "Be quiet, they're coming."

Slightly confused, Uni quickly shuts her mouth and pretends to be asleep, deciding that she'll trust Uzume, at least for now. In the end, they're both prisoners in the same cell - there's no point in being suspicious of each other. Besides, the girl seems friendly enough and certainly isn't acting like she has any ill intentions.

Her eyes still closed, Uni listens as a loud clanking sound rings through the cavern, followed by what sounds like something being raised into the air - presumably the gate that's probably there, barring the cavern prison from the outside world. Several loud, thudding sounds echo through the cave. Footsteps, belonging to something gigantic.

"Looks like they're still out cold." a deep, mechanical voice says, to nobody in particular. "Linda must have used too many syringes."

A large, mechanical hand closes itself around Uni's body, raising her into the air. She doesn't struggle - she doesn't even need to look to know that there's no way she'll be breaking free from the robot's iron grip.

Instead, she opens her eyes just a little, watching as the cavern she was being held in disappears into the distance. The faint light given off by the anti-crystal within it fades, and she's plunged into darkness. Seemingly unfazed by the lack of light, the giant robot - presumably the one Uzume called Brave - plods onwards, taking her deeper and deeper underground.

"Do not be afraid, lady Uni." the robot suddenly says, his voice echoing off of the walls of the tunnel they're travelling in, "We do not wish you harm. Soon, you will meet with Magic, and she will make everything clear to you."

Uni blinks, wondering what to be more surprised by - the fact that the robot is speaking to her at all, considering she's supposed to be asleep, or the fact that he's telling her that he doesn't wish her harm despite having knocked her out and locked her in an underground cavern, or the fact that he just called her _lady_. While it's not a title she isn't familiar with, it feels extremely out of place coming from a probably-evil gigantic robot that also happens to be grabbing onto her like she's a rag doll.

"I would also like to warn you that my compatriots are... of a peculiar sort." Brave continues, his footsteps beginning to slow. "Do not be concerned. Like me, they will not harm you, although their reasons for doing so might be different."

A faint light begins to illuminate the previously pitch-black corridor, indicating that they're closing in on their destination. An opening to some sort of distinctly man-made room appears in the distance, a soft humming coming from the gate leading to it. Brave kneels down and gently drops Uni onto the ground.

"You're on your own now. Magic doesn't permit any of us to enter the control room." Brave says, standing back up, "All you have to do is press your hand onto the scanner near the gate, and the forcefield will deactivate. I wish you luck."

Uni remains standing there, watching as Brave's hulking silhouette disappears into the darkness, the sound of his footsteps fading into the distance. For some reason, try as she might, she has a hard time thinking of him as being evil, despite all the evidence pointing to the fact he at least isn't up to anything good. He seems too nice for that, and he did seem to genuinely have her wellbeing in mind.

Putting that at the back of her mind, Uni turns around and walks towards the glowing gate in front of her, her legs still slightly unsteady and her head still feeling like someone had used it as a pincushion. A strange, purplish film covers the opening, not allowing her any view of what is going on within the confines of whatever lies beyond it. Attempting to push her hand through it, she is met with a mild electric shock, and pulls back immediately.

Looking around her, she sees nothing but stone walls and impenetrable darkness. There's no way for her to escape, at least without trying to blast a hole through the roof or running away into complete darkness without a source of light, neither of which is a really good idea. Sighing, she turns to the gate and purple, glowing panel besides it - most likely the scanner Brave had told her to use.

"Guess I've got no choice..." she murmurs, reaching forward and pressing her palm onto the purple panel. Immediately, several lines of what looks like code flash through it, too quickly for her to read. Then, the screen calms down again, displaying a rather cryptic message.

 _Subject Scan Completed.  
Console Patron Unit, Candidate, Lastation, Female.  
_ _Mental Facilities Contaminated, Physical Properties Clear.  
_ _Energy Signature Foreign.  
_ _Access Denied._

Uni blinks, unsure of what to do. Brave had told her she'd be let in, but by the looks of it, that isn't happening. Just as she's about to turn around and look for another way into the room, another series of messages pops up on the panel.

 _Central System Override - Source (Administrator): CFW Magic.  
_ _Downloading Subject Data to Disk 'CPU'.  
_ _Registering Subject Energy Signature  
_ _Disabling FS Gate 01_

The purple film blinks in and out of existence for about two seconds before disappearing completely, revealing what looks like some sort of control room for a giant spacecraft. Terminals, displays, and all sorts of other electronic devices are scattered everywhere across the room's rounded walls, the light they give off the only source of illumination.

In the centre of the room, a strange, purplish orb with a red fire burning in its core lies on a raised dais, emitting a dark mist that shrouds the entire room, giving it a rather dreamy atmosphere. And, most importantly, a woman, sitting on a throne-like chair, staring directly at her. While her form is largely obscured by the mist, her two vaguely inhuman golden eyes are very much visible.

"I've been waiting for you, Black Sister," the woman says, standing up and walking forwards, beckoning for Uni to come in. "Come, take a seat. There is much that you have to know."

* * *

Deep within the centre of a totally enclosed space - a reality marble, a pocket dimension, whatever you wish to call it - an ancient entity is stirring. Once a human, then a goddess, now something new, powerful beyond compare. But such power always comes at a price, and in this case, the price is imprisonment.

A woman with long, bluish-purple hair is curled up into a ball in the centre of this circular space, several glowing chains wrapped around her body, making it impossible for her to move even a single muscle. She had slumbered for years, dormant, ever since she made that deal with the Goddess of Leanbox. But now, something has awakened her. "Who's there?" she growls, opening her pink eyes and turning her head to look at the intruder.

The person standing before her seems unfazed by her irritation, holding herself with the air of arrogance and self-confidence born from being powerful. Her skin is a pale grey, and her catlike eyes are a reddish colour. Most eye-catching, however, is her witch-like costume which exposes most of her torso, complete with a large, pointed hat, adorned by multiple red gems.

"Oh, my, you're pretty attractive." the chained woman says, giving her dried lips a quick lick, "I've been stuck in here for a long, long time without my toys, so if you aren't careful, I might decide to have a little fun with you~"

"Iris Heart." the intruder says, completely unaffected by her playful threats, "In here, you are powerless. Try as you might, you can't lay even a finger on me. Now, if you would be quiet, we can have a - _relatively_ \- civil discussion."

"Hm? And pray tell, who may you be, you old hag?" the ancient presence - Iris Heart - asks, annoyed but at the same time quite amused by her visitor's bravado. It has been a while since she has had someone to talk to, so it's certainly quite a breath of fresh air.

"I am Arfoire, of the Seven Sages!" the witch woman replies, her cocky attitude undiminished. "Now, you damned CPU, I'd like to offer you a deal on behalf of my _comrades_." Her tone makes it very clear that she doesn't think very highly of said 'comrades'. As she talks, a strange, shadowy ball of energy appears in her hand, getting slowly larger.

"What do you wish to discuss?" Iris Heart asks, her curiosity piqued.

"We have the ability to free you from your prison, to bring you back to life," Arfoire says, delighting in her current position of superiority over one of the beings she hates with every fibre of her being. "Of course, such a gift does not come freely. The Seven Sages will revive you, under one condition."

"And what will that be?"

"To do what you do best, _warmonger_." Arfoire laughs contemptuously, an evil grin on her face, "Cause havoc. Inflict pain. Spread fear. We will free your soul but not your body, and give you control over the Sisters. Heed our commands for a week. That is all."

"How will I know that you will keep your promise?" Iris Heart asks. She has no reason to trust this woman - everything about her can be summed up in a single word, and that word is 'suspicious'.

"On behalf of the Seven Sages, I swear on the true Goddess."

It's been centuries since she last saw the light of day, centuries since she last managed to stretch her limbs, centuries since she last saw the faces of her friends and enemies alike. Swearing on the true Goddess is the ultimate binding oath, one that can't possibly be broken without angering Celestia itself. She has her guarantee now.

"It's a deal." Iris Heart says, without hesitation.

"A deal." Arfoire replies, her voice full of hatred. With a bone-chilling laugh, she launches her shadowy energy ball at the chained woman, striking her directly on the chest and sending spikes of incredible pain through her entire body. Gritting her teeth and maintaining her confident smirk, Iris Heart doesn't give the witch the pleasure of seeing her in any pain.

Arfoire turns around and, leering at the chained Goddess, opens up a shadowy portal in front of herself. As she steps through it, she leaves Iris Heart with a single, contemptuous laugh. "Enjoy your freedom, _Goddess._ Ah-hahahahaha!"

As the spears of pain fade from her body, Iris Heart's eyes begin to dance with a joyful, maniacal light. That energy... it's familiar to her, bringing back old memories, ones that aren't exactly pleasant. Soon, however, she will be free, and then the woman that had taken almost everything from her, her nation, her freedom, her friends, the woman that has given this 'Arfoire' lady her power - she will pay.

"Rei Ryghts..." she murmurs, smirking, "I can't wait to see that lovely, terrified look on your face as I rip your body apart..."

* * *

A/N: That's it for now. This chapter was going to have IF, Vert, Mages, and all the Planeptune people in it, but I decided it was long enough already, so that's coming next time.

Thanks for reading :)


	4. Chapter 4

[1.3]

"Ooo, who's that person you've got with you, Vert? Your new girlfriend? Did you dump Iffy?" Neptune is the first to greet the Leanbox Goddess when she arrives in the Planeptune Basilicom, in her own, very characteristic way. "Wow, she looks _awesome_. Is that a cosplay?"

Having flown here on what she told Chika was a 'business trip', Vert allows herself a small smile. It's been a while since she last met with the resident Goddess of Planeptune, and she'd be lying if she said that she hadn't missed her. There's something about that girl's happy-go-lucky attitude and inability to take things seriously that allows anyone to relax in her presence - which can be both a blessing and a curse.

The cause of Neptune's combined excitement and confusion is the blue-haired girl standing behind the Leanbox Goddess. The person who, unknown to any others, had appeared unannounced in the Leanbox Basilicom the night before. Wearing a white cloak adorned with cog-wheel like patterns and a large witch's hat with several similar-looking cogs wrapped around it, she's certainly not inconspicuous.

"Oh, that's Mages," Vert says, turning around and beckoning the witch-girl to follow her inside, "She's... a friend of mine."

That is, of course, a lie. Mages is something much, much more important than just a 'friend'. But since it's heavily classified information, at least for the time being, she can't exactly blurt it out in front of an entire reception full of unfamiliar people. So she'll have to wait until they move to a more private place before explaining everything.

"In all capital letters, with a period, please." The witch girl adds, stepping into the reception of the Basilicom with great apprehension, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Neptune."

Neptune looks at the newcomer with a strange expression on her face, clearly mulling something over in her head, before dismissing it and beaming at her two visitors. "All-righty then! Come on, let's head somewhere more quiet, and then we can talk about whatever you came here to talk about. Sound good?"

"Perfect." Vert replies.

Neptune leads the two of them down a corridor, deep into the bowels of the Planeptune Basilicom and away from any prying eyes or ears. Her destination is her own personal bedroom, where any conversation can be had in almost complete privacy. As they walk, she notes that both Vert and the newcomer - Mages, in all capital letters and with a period at the end - are behaving strangely, as if they were hiding something but are eager to stop doing so. She may be a bit of a dunce at times, but as those close to her know, she can be surprisingly perceptive.

The three of them step into the CPU's quarters, with Mages entering last and closing the door behind her. The inside of Neptune's room is surprisingly tidy and spacious. The northern side of the room is almost entirely glass, allowing its occupants to gaze out over almost all of Planeptune (the northern side of it, anyway). A large bed sits in the corner, in front of a massive tv connected to about twenty game consoles, with a similarly massive fridge by its side. The rest of the incredibly large room, though, is fairly empty except for some purple/white carpets, a sofa, and an armchair.

Two people are already in the room, one seated on the armchair, the other floating in the air, looking at the three that had just entered - none other than Histoire and Nepgear, who had been awaiting their visitor's arrival there. Normally, Vert would have attempted to flirt a little with Neptune's sister, but a single glance at the girl's face told her that now is most definitely not the time for something like that.

"Lady Green Heart and her companion, it's a pleasure to meet you." Histoire says, motioning towards the other sofa, "Please, take a seat, and then we'll talk about whatever you came here to tell us. Nepgear has also taken the trouble to prepare some tea, so you may help yourself to that as well, if you wish."

After some more pleasantries are exchanged, the two visitors sit down side by side on the vacant sofa, and the room falls into an expectant silence, broken occasionally by Neptune bouncing up and down in order to let out some of all that nervous energy that is building up inside her. It doesn't take a lot of intelligence to figure out that whatever the Leanbox Goddess has to say is probably of incredible importance.

Vert sighs, and looks at Histoire, who gives her a small smile of encouragement and reassurance. A smile that says, 'don't worry, your secrets are safe with me'. All five teacups remain untouched on the table between them.

While the Tome of the World is acting as Planeptune's Oracle, she is in nature neutral when it comes to matters of different nations. A long time ago, in a moment of desperation, Vert had asked the Tome for help - help with something that she would rather be kept a secret for as long as she can possibly get away with, more for someone else's sake than for her own. Of course, as with almost any act, it can not be denied that her motives aren't _entirely_ altruistic.

"We've come here today in order to ask Histoire a few questions about the Sharicite that Chika couldn't answer." Vert begins, still looking at the Planeptune Oracle, "More specifically, about the processes that are required to connect someone originating from another dimension to a Sharicite in this one."

"That 'someone' would be me." Mages adds, reaching forward and picking up one of the teacups, "Thank you for the tea."

"Wow, so you found yourself a sister?" Neptune asks, hopping from one foot onto the other. There is only room for three people to sit on couches in the room, so she had been left standing. "Good on you, Vert! I knew you had it in ya."

"Thank you." Vert replies, "Mages is going to become my successor. I have already spoken to Chika about this, but the public does not yet know, so I would appreciate it if you keep this a secret until the official announcement is made."

"Congratulations on finally finding a successor." Histoire says after a short pause, repeating Neptune's sentiment, although her voice has a strange, almost sad tone to it. It slips unnoticed by the ears of the Planeptune sisters, but both Vert and Mages can hear it loud and clear. "May I ask you how you two came to meet each other?"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid that's classified information." Mages says, her voice unfailingly respectful. "In the future, I may be able to tell you, if you are still interested. But right now..."

"I understand." Histoire sighs, "I am just happy that the issue has been resolved. If you wish, I will accompany you back to Leanbox, and see what I can do. Unfortunately, I can't guarantee that this process will end in success - it isn't something that has been done before, after all."

"We will be incredibly grateful." Mages replies, bowing her head.

* * *

IF steps out of her bathroom, towelling off her hair after a shower. After speaking to Histoire about the 'Knife Incident', she had been asked by Histoire to move into a new room that is closer to the Centre of Planeptune's Basilicom, where both Neptune and herself would be able to help out if anything serious came up again.

While Histoire hadn't forbidden her to go out, IF had decided that it would be better if she stayed in this room until whatever the problem is is solved. After all, she doesn't know if something like that overpowering redness might come over her again, and if it does, she certainly doesn't want to be anywhere _near_ another person.

Of course, that means that she'll be unable to take on any quests or gather any information - pretty much all she does nowadays - so, as a result of her self-imposed imprisonment, she suddenly has a whole lot of time to kill, and not very much to kill it with.

Sighing, she slumps face-first into her new bed, closing her eyes and sinking into the sheets. Lazing around for an entire day, doing nothing except answering the odd phone call and playing a video game or two, can be surprisingly draining, especially if you're used to the hustle and bustle that comes with working as an information agent and dealing with loads of people on a daily basis.

"I wonder if this is what being Neptune feels like..." she mumbles into her pillow.

She stays in that position for ten minutes or so, unmoving. Occasionally, her thoughts would drift to Vert - something that has never exactly been a _rare_ occurrence, and has only started inexplicably increasing in frequency after the 'Knife Incident'. But she always makes sure to kill those thoughts as soon as they spring up.

Mostly for her own peace of mind, she had decided, a good while ago, that any developments in that sort of vein will have to wait until the CPU shift period is complete, and things are nice and stable again.

 _My, how you've grown._

The voice is sultry in a dangerously sinister manner, and oddly familiar. IF blinks, shivering slightly, but manages to keep her cool. For the past slightly-under-24 hours, she had been expecting - perhaps waiting for - the voice to return, after all. But strangely, this voice is different from the one that had spoken to her the day before. "Who are you?" she asks.

 _Do you really not remember me?_

"No, I don't think so." she replies.

 _Too bad, then. Next time, I'll be_ sure _to leave a more lasting impression._

"Sorry." she mumbles, her voice dying in her throat as a chilling sensation spreads through her body.

 _It seems that someone is calling for me. Farewell, Green Sister. I look forward to toying with you._

With a soft, taunting laugh, the presence that has just inserted itself into IF's mind withdraws, and the brunette feels the cold that had been creeping through her body seep out of her, leaving only the clammy feeling of sweat behind. She lets out a sigh and rolls over, protecting her tired eyes from the light with her right arm. She hasn't really been afraid many times before in her life, but these past few days have been full of new experiences. Very unpleasant new experiences.

"I just hope that I'm not going insane..." she mutters, blindly groping around for her phone. She knows that Histoire is currently in some sort of incredibly important meeting right now, but when that's finished, she would want to be informed of this new development. Besides, she could use some sort of distraction.

As if the True Goddess herself is listening to her inner thoughts, a distraction is immediately presented to her, in the form of the distinctive sound of someone knocking on her window. IF quickly sits up, looking towards the only window in her room, which overlooks the courtyard in the centre of the Basilicom.

An unfamiliar girl is hanging upside down outside it, tapping on the glass. Her skin is tanned, and her emerald eyes glint mischievously under her spiky blonde hair, kept under control by a hat with cat-ears attached to it and a pair of green goggles.

Before she can wonder why she's receiving such an oddly-dressed visitor in such an odd fashion, the girl knocks on the window again, mouthing 'let me in'. Deciding that she could use some entertainment, IF drags herself off the bed and walks over to the window, pulling it up and watching as the girl, obviously quite acrobatic, flips herself onto the windowsill and then hops into the room.

"So, who are you, and why are you here?" IF asks, pulling the window back down. It's winter, and she doesn't want the cold air getting into her nice, cozy room.

"My name's CyberConnect2, but everyone calls me CC2 for short." her visitor replies, politely remaining standing despite there being many easily accessible places to sit in the room, "My friend sent me here to keep an eye on you."

"If you want to sit down, you can, you know?" IF says, walking back to her bed and sitting down on it. CC2 thanks her and hops over towards the sofa. Her movements all possess an incredible lightness, a testament to her probably-amazing speed and agility. When her visitor has settled herself, IF continues. "So, who's this friend of yours?"

"Sorry, but I'm not really allowed to tell you much." CC2 says, "It's all very hush-hush. I just felt like popping by and saying hello, to be honest. You seemed bored out of your mind."

"You got _that_ right." IF mutters, falling backwards onto her bed. Although she might not exactly admit it, she certainly doesn't mind the girl's company. She seems nice enough, after all. "How did you even get in here? The Basilicom is supposed to be heavily guarded, and you don't look like someone they'd just let through. Especially not with that important meeting that's going on right now."

"I went over the roof. There's a tree near the back of the building that you can use as a ladder." CC2 replies, "The guards don't know about it, and nobody bothers to check for intruders on the roof of a three-story building, especially when everything's nice and peaceful."

"I should probably report that..." IF sighs.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. I'd prefer it if you leave it be, though. It makes my life a lot easier."

"So you take that route often?"

"Ever since I got the order to keep tabs on you - by that, I mean about a month ago."

"So you're the person that's been following me around all that time?" IF asks, surprised. Every now and then for quite a while now, she'd felt the sensation of eyes on her when no eyes ought to be there. She hadn't had any real evidence, though, so it was nothing more than a hunch, and she had ignored it.

"Oh, you knew? You're more perceptive than I thought." CC2 grins good-naturedly at her. "To be honest, I don't really like this job. It makes me feel like I'm invading your privacy. But in the end, orders are orders, so I don't have much choice."

"Shouldn't you be more discreet about this?" IF asks, feeling oddly concerned for CC2. While the girl _has_ essentially been stalking her for a month or two, she seems to be a good person, and it's pretty obvious that she doesn't really like it either.

"Honestly, I probably should. If my friend finds out, I'd probably get punished pretty severely. But spending my time just staring at you from far away was making me uncomfortable, so I thought it'd be better for both of us if you knew." the cat-girl says, "Besides, it's not like we think you're doing anything suspicious. So-"

She stops mid-sentence, a look of surprise and mild fear flashing onto her face. It quickly fades away, though.

"Sorry, but I've got to go. Someone's coming." she says, turning around, "I _really_ don't want to be caught here, so I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. It's been fun talking to you, IF. We'll be meeting again soon enough, but if you ever need me for anything, just call my name, and I'll _probably_ be there - I'm supposed to trail you everywhere, after all. Enjoy yourself while you still can, all right?" With that, she bounds over to the window and lifts it upwards, then jumps out, swinging herself onto the roof and disappearing from sight.

* * *

Doing as she's commanded, Uni quickly stumbles into the control room and sits down on the first thing she sees - a glowing, obsidian pedestal. A faded, slightly torn red cushion lies on top of it, so she assumes that it's dedicated for visitors like her. Her limbs are still slightly shaky and her headache has yet to fade, although sitting down dulls it slightly.

Before she can say anything, the woman with golden eyes - presumably the one the panel outside referred to as CFW Magic - starts speaking, still standing by the doorway. "Welcome to the Gamindustri Graveyard, Uni," she says, her voice carrying a regal air, "I trust that you have many questions, and I will do my utmost to answer some of them."

Uni tries to say 'yes', but her throat is suddenly seized by a incredible dryness, and no sound comes out. So she just nods. She wonders if this is a good chance to sneak a look at some of those displays Magic was looking at, but the woman's voice commands her absolute attention.

"The cause of your headache is the drug that we used to knock you out and bring you here. When used in moderation, it has no such effect, but unnaturally large doses are required in order to subdue a CPU like you, so I instructed Linda to use as much as she saw fit." Magic says. She waves her hand, and the purple barrier that had disappeared to let Uni through springs back to life. With that done, she turns around and strides back across the room, resuming her own seat on the obsidian throne.

"You are currently sitting in the direct centre of the Gamindustri Graveyard, or, as you may call it, the Underworld. On the dais between us lies what remains of _our_ Goddess- the Deity of Sin. Her presence is the reason for the feeling of dryness you are currently experiencing." Magic continues talking, her voice wrapping around Uni like a blanket, weighing her down, stifling her movements, suffocating in it's strength. "I trust that you'll be able to endure it. You _are_ a CPU, after all."

"Gamindustri is entering the most tumultuous period it has ever experienced since the collapse of Tari several millennia ago. Should things go awry, there is a very high chance that the surface will fall into ruin. Already, ancient entities far more powerful than the beings you call Goddesses are locked in a battle that will decide the fate of the world as you know it. The bloodlust that you have experienced is nothing more than a small part of that. You, Uni, are nothing more than an expendable pawn in their games. Likewise, you are nothing more than an expendable pawn in mine."

Uni shudders a little at that statement. Magic's eyes glint dangerously in the reddish, misty darkness, like those of a snake, or some other sort of predator. A small, circular obsidian table rises out of the ground in front of her, with a tea set on it.

"You must be thirsty. Drink." Magic commands.

Nodding her thanks, the candidate reaches over and picks up one of the gold-lined teacups, gulping down the tea as fast as she can manage with her parched throat. She never did like the taste of tea - it's on the bitter side, and has a sort of tangy fragrance that she finds unsavoury. But of course, beggars can't be choosers. "Thanks." she says, her voice coming out in a raspy, slightly inhuman hiss.

"The Graveyard exists only to act as a counterbalance to Gamindustri itself. Everything that takes place on the surface is manifested in the negative form here, becoming monsters, or other, less tangible things. Should the surface be destroyed, we, too, will be destroyed. We can not allow that to happen, and that is the reason for your presence here." Magic says, "We needed you to be removed from the surface. You are a powerful, wilful individual, Uni, and that makes you dangerous. For our plans to proceed smoothly, we needed to remove you from Lastation."

"Why?" Uni asks, wincing a little at how inhuman her voice sounds. She would have said more, but the dryness in her throat prevents her from doing so.

"A massive hoard of monsters are gathering near the entrance of the Graveyard. Someone powerful is summoning them. Lastation will soon be in great danger, and we can not trust you to act rationally when the time comes about. To put it bluntly, you are an unknown, and we need you removed from the equation."

Seeing that Uni is about to voice some sort of objection, Magic raises a hand to silence her.

"Brave will take you back to your accommodation, where you will stay for the time being. You can take any further questions you have to him. Leave."

The purple forcefield fizzes out of existence, and, glad for the chance to get out of the oppressively dry, stifling atmosphere of Magic's control room, Uni runs towards it as fast as her still-unsteady limbs can manage.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that took so long! I just got back to school and there are some Internal Exams coming up for me, so I didn't have a lot of time on my hands. That trend will probably continue for quite a long while. Sorry.

Anyways, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it :)


	5. Chapter 5

**[1.4]**

The newly crowned CPU candidate of Leanbox sits back on her chair, sipping from the cup of tea her newly adopted sister had brewed for her a half an hour ago. By now, it has become lukewarm, cooled down by the cold air of winter streaming through the opened windows of the room Vert had given her. She lets out a contented sigh as the liquid slips down her throat.

While it isn't Doc Tear Pepper, it's certainly the next best thing. Combined with the fact that her plans had gone off without a hitch, she is in a good mood - as good as her moods get, at any rate. But such tranquility does not last long for her. It never does. Whenever she tries to relax, the same voices come back to her, asking the same things, never allowing her a moment's rest. This time is no different.

 _How long has it been again?_

That question, along with many others, echo on the insides of MAGES.'s head, insistently but not forcefully begging to be answered. When was the last time she laid eyes on all those things that she had given up so much for? When was the last time she saw Lyrica's smile as she sang her beautiful, magical melodies? When was the last time she had walked in the streets of the town she _still_ calls home?

It's been a long time, that's for sure. Decades. Centuries. Millenia. _Two thousand years_. Two thousand years since that day, the day she lost everything except her life and her power - the power that is unique to her, unobtainable by anyone else. The power to travel distances that transcend space itself. The power to reach out, take someone else's hand, and _leap_. To _leave_ , and to _arrive_.

When she had left, when she had leapt for the first time, she had sworn that she will never forget all the things she was leaving behind. And she hasn't, not yet. But in the end, as with all things, it's only a matter of time. Already, her memories of her sister, her home, the near-perfect life she used to live and can never live again, the one that woman had taken from her - they're beginning to lose their colour, becoming overcome by the same, creeping greyness that has devoured everything else she calls her own.

She's running out of time, in both senses of the phrase - eventually, in less than a decade, those memories that are so precious will be gone, and her life will go with them. She's already been hanging on for too long, even with the contract sustaining her. But she doesn't need much more time. Just a year. A single year, and then she will find it. The promised land, the realm of the Fate Stone.

Just a year.

 _MAGES., how are things?_

The voice in her head is familiar but at the same time slightly alien. There is a harsh, biting edge to it, an edge that distinguishes it from the voice of her contractor - the person she had befriended, the person that means more to her than almost anything else. But it's all part of the plan, the plan that will bring their combined dreams to life. So, even though hearing her voice distorted like this pains her, MAGES. endures it.

"They're going well." she says, managing to keep her voice even as she sets the empty teacup down on the table besides her. "All the preparations for the first stage have been completed."

 _That's good. I've got a warning for you, so listen carefully. They've already begun_ their _preparations. A hoard of monsters is gathering near the entrance to the Graveyard, and they're spreading out towards all four nations._

"I understand." she replies.

 _Do you know what to do?_

"Of course." she says, "I'll begin Stage Two of the plan as soon as we finish conversing."

 _Good._ The voice lets out a soft laugh _. I look forward to chatting with you again._

"Is that all?"

 _Yes, that will be everything. Don't fail me, MAGES., or I will make sure that you_ truly _know despair._

"I will not fail." she growls. She knows that there is too much at stake here. For the next few months, the success of the plan depends on her, and her alone. Not the friends she has made since her arrival here, not the owner of the voice in her head. The burden is hers to carry. The presence withdraws itself from her mind, and the world suddenly seems a whole lot brighter.

Before she can even attempt to relax again, someone knocks on her door.

"No rest for the wicked, huh..." she sighs, pulling herself into a standing position and making her way towards the door, quickly changing her posture from a slouched, tired one to that of a normal person. "Who is it? What's the code?"

Her chuunibyou persona makes it easy to ask for secret codes and such without arousing any suspicion. It had started out as merely a ruse, but by now, after aeons for keeping it up, the distinction between that and her 'true' personality is no longer so clear.

"1.048596β." Her visitor replies, without any hesitation, the hallmark of a phrase that the mouth has already grown used to uttering. MAGES. recognises the cheerful, lighthearted voice immediately, and pulls the door open so that she may enter. An orange-haired girl wearing a shirt that's _clearly_ too small for her _enormous_ chest quickly bounds into the room and closes the door behind her.

"Welcome back, Marvellous." MAGES. says, nodding at the ninja, "How did things go on your end?"

"Pretty well, considering all the security they've got there." she replies, a grin on her face, "I managed to get in and out without getting caught, although I think they'd have realised I was there at some point by now. And, like I've been saying for ages, just call me Marvy."

"Did you find it?"

"Yep. The readings went off the charts the instant I hooked it to the terminal. Whatever this tech is, it's incredibly effective." Marvy says, reaching into her pockets and pulling out a black device with a purple screen, with two similarly purple, glowing spikes on the back. It reads:

 _Location: Lastation, Central Server.  
_ _Time: -18 hours, 5 minutes, 41 Seconds.  
_ _Material Type: Crystal  
_ _Energy Signature: Share, Type IV.  
_ _Energy Level: 95.72 (Near-Critical)_

MAGES. stares at the display, mulling it over. Her contractor had informed her that share energy is split into four distinct types, each with its roots in different emotions. The Sharicite currently used by the four nations draw mainly from the second class, and the others are rarely used as power sources due to their unstable or sometimes destructive nature. And while she doesn't know _exactly_ what Type 4 Share energy does, she has a decent idea. Alongside that, this new information pretty much confirms her suspicions.

Besides her contractor and _that_ damned woman, there is another force acting in this dimension. One that may prove to be a greater threat than any that they'd managed to predict while constructing the plans. In other words, a problem.

Just a day or so ago, she had sent Marvellous to Lastation on a reconnaissance mission. The new anti-crystal energy source that all four nations are currently pouring resources into investigating - the way it was discovered had aroused her suspicions. The nations and the dungeons around them had existed for thousands of years. It's incredibly unlikely for a hidden room to remain undiscovered for that long, especially when it is that close to the capital. The fact that many, many more similar rooms popped up immediately after only served to further her unease.

The device had been given to her by her contractor, back when she was still herself. She had never explained how exactly it actually worked, but she _had_ explained how and what to use it for. By hooking it up to the terminal in Lastation's anti-crystal lab, she could extract information about the substance itself from its database. Unfortunately, infiltrating the lab hadn't been easy, but having Marvellous on her side is definitely a godsend, and it ended up going well.

Marvellous blinks uneasily. The expression on her friend's face is the one she wears whenever she's trying to think of some sort of plan, and this particular expression seemed to indicate that an extremely dangerous plan is in the making.

"Do we have any contacts within the Planeptune Basilicom?" MAGES. asks, thoughtfully.

"Planeptune?" the ninja replies, sort of confused, "Why?"

"Do you remember why we chose Lastation over Planeptune when we were picking targets for the severance, Marvellous? It was because we figured that the cranky woman down in the basement wouldn't let her own nation come to _too_ much harm, even if it's not _exactly_ the same as the one she once ruled." MAGES. says, "But ever since you got wind of the fact that Lastation's candidate disappeared, I've been thinking..."

A look of growing apprehension appears on Marvy's face as she realises what her friend is trying to get at. "I don't think so, but CyberConnect2 is there, and I believe she's made contact with the wild card." she says, slowly. "We might be able to get through that way."

MAGES. nods, a frown on her face. "I thought I told her to refrain from direct contact, but that's not a problem right now." she sighs, "Get this through to her - tell her she's to inform the wild card that there's a hoard of monsters gathering around the dimension's centre. Once that's done, she'll have to look for a way to remove it from Planeptune, into the Gamma base."

"I'm not sure you should call her _it_ , even after that..." A pained expression appears on Marvellous's face, one that is soon mirrored on the magician's. But the latter hides it quickly - there's no use feeling bad over deeds that can't be undone.

"She's not a human anymore, Marvellous, not after what we did to her. We have to accept that." MAGES. sighs, forcing her voice to remain even despite the, uh, sensitive nature of the subject. "Now, get the orders over to Cyber - I'm counting on you."

"And you?"

"I'm going to check on how project Green is coming along, and then Tekken and I have got some negotiating to do with the one down _there_." MAGES. replies, walking towards the door, her staff in her hand, "She's a little volatile and pretty dangerous, so I'd prefer it if nobody disturbs us. But if you have to, I'll be in the Core Containment Room. Fifteen levels down, seven doors to the right. Just knock and someone will answer."

"Are you sure bringing Tekken along will be okay?" Marvellous asks, obviously concerned, "I don't think those two would make a good match. She's not like you - she might die. Probably." It sounds like a jest, but both of them know that it's not an unfounded concern.

"I've got no choice." MAGES. snaps, glaring coldly at the ninja, "We decided long ago to see this through to the bitter end, and there's no going back. I didn't think you'd be one to falter at the first sight of danger, and I hope that I haven't thought wrong. If Tekken does die, she will do it so that everything and everyone we have ever treasured will not be forgotten or remain unavenged - just as Falcom will, just as Cyber will, just as I will. Now leave."

Turning around and giving her cloak a flourish, MAGES. leaves the room and slams the door shut behind her, sending a loud clacking sound echoing through the doorway as the lock is engaged. She strides purposefully through the halls of the Basilicom, wasting no time, not once looking back.

 _You surprise me yet again, MAGES._

"Go shove your head into a microwave." she replies, her irritation, frustration, and rage all combined into a terrifying, wrathful tone, "And we'll see how you talk once your face has been turned into green gel."

* * *

"You have _got_ to be joking... Please, Kei, for the love of God, tell me that you're joking."

"Lady Noire, you know that I've never been one to joke about something this serious. Forget what happened with the lab, forget even Lady Uni's disappearance - if this goes badly, all of Lastation will burn. To the ground." Kei replies, her tone despairingly lacking in any joking-ness. "Now, what do we do?"

Noire buries her head in her hands and tries her best to suppress the scream of frustration that's building up in her. She's mildly successful, and it comes out as a low growl instead. "I don't know!" she says, throwing her arms out at the display on her left side, "Nothing can deal with _that_!"

The display in question is a large map of Gamindustri, with multiple red markers scattered across it. While the markers within Lastation itself are comfortingly sparse, the massive, undulating mass of crimson clustered around the centre and slowly fanning out towards the edges are not. Each red marker signifies the presence of an S-level monster - one capable of single-handedly destroying a city if left unchecked.

Noire sighs, her face contorted into a grimace that makes all the stress building up in her painfully clear to her oracle. "Kei..." she asks, her voice clearly demonstrating her tiredness, "How's the Crystal Core project coming along?"

"I'm afraid it's not ready to be deployed yet. The anti-crystal is still too unstable to provide sustained power for the shield. It's got an incredibly high chance of blowing up and sending everything in the near vicinity to hell." Kei replies, similarly stressed out. "But the system is already functional. If it comes down to that, we have the option of betting on it."

"Hold that thought." Noire says, sitting upright, a glimmer of hope returning to her eyes, "Repeat what you just said - the part about sending everything to hell."

"I was saying that if we attempted to charge the anti-crystal, it would most likely result in an incredibly violent explosion."

"Kei, get the order through - we're evacuating _all_ the towns and moving everyone into the capital. When that's done, load up the airships with all our anti-crystal, make sure they're equipped with pulse cannons, and have them ready to launch by tomorrow." Noire says, the commanding and regal tone normally associated with her returning to her voice, which is full of urgency. "Make it quick - we don't have much time."

"Lady Noire, are you suggesting that-"

"Yes, precisely. I'm assuming command of the military. We'll draw the monsters into the towns, trap them there for as long as we can, and then let them perish in that incredibly violent explosion you were talking about. It'll leave everything in ruins, but as long as we have the tech and the people to operate it, we can rebuild. Worst come to worst, I'll go and beg Neptune, Blanc, and Vert for help."

"I hope that you know the risks behind this." Kei says, her tone solemn. "We'll be losing most of our factories and _all_ of our anti-crystal. Even if you pull this off, our economy will be in shambles, and we'll be so behind on the technological front that we'll likely never catch up unless all the stars align in our favour."

"It's better than condemning our people to death." Noire snaps, "Besides, the hoard is spreading out in all directions, and the other nations would have to deal with it somehow. We aren't the only ones grasping at straws here."

A frown passes over her face as her own mention of the other nations brings another concern to mind. When she speaks again, she is clearly worried.

"Kei, have you made contact with Neptune and the others?"

"No. All communications have been jammed. We've been trying, but no signals are getting through."

A pause descends over them as Noire digests this new information, but it doesn't last long, and her eyes soon show the glint that comes with having received an epiphany. Just as the monsters are coming in, Uni disappears, communications fail, but the answer has already been provided a few weeks prior - although it comes with the cost of sending the nation's economy straight to hell. Top that all of with all of this happening as the CPU shift period rolls around, and you've got yourself one big conspiracy.

"Say, Kei... All of this seems awfully convenient, doesn't it?" Noire muses, somewhat hesitantly, "It's almost like some higher power is toying with us."

Before the oracle can answer, something else answers for her. With a loud rumbling sound, a massive, jagged crack appears in the air between the two, as if some invisible claw had reached forward and torn the very fabric of reality apart. A sinister energy seeps into the room, sending a chill down the Goddess and Oracle's spine as they stand there paralysed, unable to move. Inside the crack, there is only a swirling, purplish red mist, which hides everything except two glowing, golden eyes.

"As expected from someone with your intelligence, you are completely correct." A distorted voice rings out from within the void, one that commands the complete attention of its audience - even if they are two of the most powerful people in all of Gamindustri. "This is all part of a plan. I am not responsible for this event, but I know the identity of the culprit. I, too, do not wish for Lastation to fall, although my motivations are different from yours."

By now, the red mist has seeped through the crack, and is spreading throughout the room. Noire tries to speak, but her throat seems to have suddenly dried out, and no sound comes out.

"The countermeasure you have devised will work, but the aftershocks will be severe, and you will be playing into the hands of our common enemy. Thus, I would like to propose a better one." The voice says, its regal tone inspiring both a sense of awe and terror, "Form an alliance with me. We have a common enemy, and a common goal. Give me access to your anti-crystal reserves, and I will protect your nation."

"We will continue negotiations after the threat has been dealt with. Time is of essence, Black Heart. Make your decision."

* * *

A/N: I was going to include Blanc in this chapter, but again, I ran out of time and I didn't want to make it too long. So Blanc will come next chapter, when I get that up. Which won't be for a while because of how much work I shoved till later to get this up, so sorry.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it :)


	6. Chapter 6

[1.5]

Blanc allows her jaw to drop at the sight spread out before her. The room she's in is massive, larger than even her entire Basilicom - which is pretty big, considering the fact that it's a fairy-tale castle. There are no windows, but thousands of white lights all around the ceiling and walls light the room up brighter than any amount of sunlight possibly can.

Five glass canisters stand suspended in the air by massive cables, one much larger than the other four. That one is encased in a golden shrine of sorts, with strange red lines drawn across it in an incomprehensible pattern. Each of the four smaller canisters are placed in what she assumes to be the four points of a compass, connected to the central one with an impossibly intricate series of pipes, wires, and strange, glowing lines of some golden energy. All are filled with some blue, bubbling liquid, encasing the body of the human beings contained in them, keeping them protected in their sleep.

Walking forwards, Blanc rests her hand on the nearest one and immediately pulls it away, surprised by the biting cold of the glass. The figure within it is indistinct, but she is fairly sure that whoever it is has been locked into a straightjacket that makes it impossible for her (and it definitely _is_ a her), to move even a single muscle - not that the cold wouldn't do that already.

Merely fifty minutes ago, she had agreed to a deal. More accurately, been forced into one. But with the threat of Lowee being razed to the ground and her sisters locked in a perpetual, red insanity for the rest of their lives, it wasn't like she could refuse. Besides, the man had been persuasive, and where he was not, the hoard of monsters slowly but surely approaching Lowee made up for it. She had agreed to be blindfolded by a very loud, bombastic robot that was _way_ friendlier than she had expected or cared for, and brought here - to this room - to see _exactly_ what it is that she's agreeing to.

"Um... Are you perhaps... Lady White Heart?"

A hesitant voice sounds over the earpiece (with a microphone attached) that she had been told to put on. Blanc raises an eyebrow in surprise - she had been told that she would speak to the leader of this 'Seven Sages' group, and, try as she might, she could hardly imagine a person with that sort of voice leading what sounded like a massive shadowy organisation headed by seven incredibly important, powerful people. "That would be me." she replies.

"Oh, good... thank god he didn't get the wrong person..." the voice sighs.

"The wrong person! Why would I get the wrong person? Do you doubt my abilities, woman?" Another voice sounds over the earpiece, clearly screaming at the top of its lungs. This one, though, Blanc is familiar with - it's the green robot that had brought her down here. And from what Blanc knows of him, that woman has every reason to doubt his abilities.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to-"

This is followed by the sound of crackling electricity, and the aforementioned green robot's loud, unintelligible yelling. After a few seconds, it dies down.

"A-Anonydeath? What did you do to him?"

"I merely put him to sleep so that you can have some quality private time with our guest. Besides, that _beautiful_ mechanical body of his is _soooo_ much more attractive when he isn't screaming."

"What?" the first voice sounds just as confused as Blanc is right now, something she decides she ought to take some relief in. After some more loud clanking sounds, the line falls silent again, broken only by the sound of somebody breathing.

After a few more seconds of this, Blanc has had enough, and she breaks the silence. "So, why did you bring me here?" she growls, somewhat impatiently.

"Oh, right, s-sorry to keep you waiting..." the voice says, sounding like she was having a mild panic attack, "U-um... could you please push the red button under the golden containment tube?"

Blanc sighs, then jumps forward with all her strength in an attempt to relieve some of the stress that's building up within her, leaving a small crater in the ground and clearing the distance between herself and the canister in the centre of the room in a single bound. The loud, harsh sound of the metal floor cracking causes the voice on the other side of the earpiece to yelp in surprise and fright.

In front of her, on what looks like a strange combination of a computer terminal and a sacrificial altar, lies a single, blood red oval crystal. A dark mist swirls around inside it, pressing against the sides, like a demon desperately trying to break free from its transparent, crimson prison. All around it, rune-like shapes are carved into a black, jagged circle, each and every indentation lined with gold that she recognises at once as being pure. Occasionally, the runes will flash red, but the colour always subsides quickly.

"I don't like the look of this thing." she growls, "What is it?"

"I-it's a fragment." the voice replies, still stuttering slightly, making it hard to understand, "It's... a fragment of - my - the soul of - our goddess."

"God dammit, can't you just speak normally?" Blanc yells into the earpiece.

"Eep! S-sorry!"

"Stop fucking apologising!"

"So- uh, I-" the voice seems to be on the verge of tears.

"Whatever."

Letting out what she thinks must be her hundredth sigh that day, Blanc puts the voice to the back of her mind and reaches forward, placing her hand on the gemstone. She hesitates for a moment when nothing happens, but then remembers that the earpiece voice had called it a button, so she applies some pressure. The gem sinks downwards with a satisfying click. Immediately, the runes around it flare up, engulfing the entire room in a crimson glow that overpowers even the blinding whiteness of the lights on the walls and ceiling.

Immediately, Blanc feels her heartbeat quickening to a sickening rate, threatening to burst out of her ribcage. Her body is assailed by a searing pain that shoots through her blood vessels, causing them to flare up in a brilliant red colour that can be seen through her skin and even her clothes - clothes that are thick enough to protect someone from the biting cold of the Lowee winter. Gasping for breath, she collapses onto her knees, supporting her body with her left arm as her right clutches at her chest in a futile attempt to sooth the pain.

"A-are you all right?" the voice on the other side of the earpiece asks, and it's only then that Blanc realises that a grotesque, raspy sound that's _almost_ a scream is coming out of her mouth - a sound that she quickly silences by forcing it shut.

Just as the first wave of pain fades, Blanc is assailed with another one, even more intense than the last. Unable to resist, she collapses forwards onto the ground, crouched in a fetal position, her face contorted in a soundless scream. Reddish tears flow unchecked from her eyes. A scarlet film begins to creep across her vision, and her heartbeat seems to get even faster, creating an incessant, tuneless, ever-accelerating drumbeat as her world is consumed by a screen of blood.

A few seconds later, her body stops moving, and her face settles into the peaceful expression of a tranquil sleep. Only the gentle rise and fall of her chest indicates that she is still in the land of the living.

* * *

 _Blanc watches the scene unfold before her with a mixture of awe and confusion. Attempting to move, she finds that she can't - a few more attempts soon reveal that she is incapable of anything other than watching as the scene unfolds before her. In first person._

 _She is surrounded by four figures, cavorting around her body like a host of ceremonial dancers, flashes of purple, white, black and green slicing through the air. But she is strong, and they are weak. She allows their harmless attacks to rain down on her body as her own blade cleaves through the air, sharp enough to tear gaping holes in the very fabric of reality, ripping apart gaping, shadowy wounds in the sky, painted orange by the setting sun._

 _As she fights, a dark purple liquid flows from those cuts. The blood of her world itself cascades down onto the ground below in thousands upon thousands of ethereal waterfalls, all of it evaporating into a fine purple mist that enshrouds the continent - all its cities, is forests, its seas - obscuring them all from sight._

 _In the distance, four golden towers rise above the mist, but they don't stand for much longer. Already, a purple haze is spreading over their surface, devouring their golden sheen. The one towards the west is the first to crumble, and the others follow soon after, disappearing from sight as they too are consumed by the rolling mist._

 _Still, the four figures continue to fight a futile battle. She growls with irritation and slaps one of them out of the sky - one she recognises as herself, but at the same time, someone else. By now, the other figures that are fighting her come into focus. Noire, Vert, and someone she doesn't know. She tries to hold herself back, but she can do nothing._

 _Unable to look away, she watches as she plunges her own blade into Noire's chest, cruelly twisting it around before allowing the goddess to drop lifeless into the void below. Vert, dressed for some reason in a black bodysuit instead of a white one, soon follows, her spear cut in half, just like her body._

 _Only a single figure remains, and the two of them duel. She's stronger than the others, but in the end, still nothing more than a fly. Blanc hears herself laughing maniacally as she tears the whip from her hands, tossing it nonchalantly over her shoulder and watching gleefully as it disappears, consumed by the mist, the mist that will soon become her kingdom._

 _She steps forward, the air solidifying beneath her feet, and punches the woman in the chest. Her clawed fist smashes straight through her body, tearing it like paper, and bursting out on the other side amidst an almost comical explosion of blood. The woman lets out a hacking cough, glaring at her with eyes that soon go dull as she too plunges headfirst into the darkness._

 _Now she alone flies in the sky, the world underneath her nothing more than a featureless, purple sea. In the distance, a bright blue light flashes seven times, then disappears forever - a final act of defiance by a doomed world. But it matters little. Soon, the old world will be gone, and the new world will be hers to rule. She lets out a demonic laugh that rings out over the cloudless sky._

 _A voice sounds in her head. She can't make out what it is saying, but it's clear from its contemptuous tone that it's mocking her. Her vision blurs. Several unrelated, indistinct sights - a desk, several bloodied faces, hands grasping at something, a crumbling city skyline, a pen, some sort of living room - cut harshly from one to another._

 _She, too, loses control over her body, watching helplessly as she plummets into the mist and her hands, arms, and the rest of her body disappears into nothingness._

 _Her world goes dark._

Do you accept your contract, White Heart? _An indistinct, inhuman voice echoes in the darkness, different from the one that was speaking to her seconds ago._ Will you allow all of this to go to waste? Will you let all those deaths to go unavenged? Will you let such a grand dream die? I can grant you power. You can save your nation. In return, you will serve me. Will you do it?

 _Without even a sliver of control, Blanc feels her head nodding._

* * *

"L-Lady White Heart! Can you hear me? A-are you awake?"

Blanc wakes to the sound of a high-pitched, oddly familiar voice frantically yelling things directly into her ears - not exactly the best thing to wake up to. She is still on the floor inside the massive chamber, but the red glow has faded, and the room is basked in white light once again. The burning pain within her body is gone, replaced by something else. _Power._ There is something sinister, something unnatural about it, but it is most definitely power.

"I'm awake." she says.

Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she flicks her index finger experimentally on the floor. A jagged purple spark of lightning erupts from its tip with a loud crack, blasting a hole straight through the metal beneath her feet. Surprised, she barely manages to grab onto the edge of the floor-turned hole before it falls away beneath her, her body dangling off the side like some sort of piñata.

An attack with that much power would normally have required at least _some_ effort from her part. But she doesn't even feel slightly drained - it's as if creating that bolt of lighting had been nothing more strenuous than, well, breathing in and out.

She takes the chance to look around her, trying to figure out where this place is. The room she was in is suspended in midair over a massive underground cavern, the light shining through the hole she created illuminating the shapes of hundreds of cables and ropes that trail from the cubed exterior of the room and onto the ground below them. The walls of the cavern glow only dimly, but Blanc recognises that glow - the glow of anti-crystal that had been used up, no longer possessing any energy. But in the distance, the glow is brighter, more vibrant.

Her eyes widen. That much anti-crystal can power all of Lowee for at least a century.

"U-Um, Lady White Heart?"

"What is it?" she asks.

"W-would you like me to, uh, arrange for you to return to Lowee, or-"

"Don't worry about it." Blanc says, a smirk forming on her face, "I'll go back myself."

Her body begins to glow, surrounded by a purplish fire that lights up the cavern she's in far brighter than the anti-crystal ever could. Before the voice on the other side of the earpiece can even react, she shoots upwards like a missile, smashing right through the ceiling of the room and all the layers of earth above it with such ease that it feels like she's moving through air.

Her body hums like a powerful engine, each and every movement full of strength and purpose. The ground itself parts for her. Adrenaline, energy, and something else courses through her veins, and she feels _alive_. More alive than she has ever felt before.

 _This is how it feels to have power, White Heart. Enjoy it. Delight in it. Yield to it, and let it consume you._

For the first time in weeks, Blanc smiles, the corners of her mouth twisting upwards like a pair of coiled snakes. She has a nation to protect, and monsters to kill.

* * *

IF grimaces as she rushes down the hallway as fast as her legs can carry her. If there is one thing she dislikes about the way her life has played out up till now, it's that her entire existence seems to have recently become one giant case study of just how many times a peaceful, near-perfect life can be turned inside out and dunked headfirst into a metaphorical pool of concentrated sulphuric acid by a _single, damn sentence, in the span of a single, damn week_.

So far, it's been twice. But given the way things are going, she's willing to bet that it'd probably become at least five by the time everything is said and done.

This time, that sentence had been uttered by her stalker-turned-sort-of-friend CyberConnect2, who had paid her a visit mere minutes ago, once again by appearing upside-down outside her window (IF had 'forgotten' to report the existence of the tree ladder). Her exact words had been: "One of my friends asked me to tell you that there's a really, really massive hoard of monsters headed this way."

When IF finally reaches the control room, she's out of breath, and her legs hurt. Reaching for the keypad, she quickly punches in the 6-digit numerical code, and the circular metal door slides open for her. Both Neptune and Histoire are there, but Nepgear is very noticeably absent, her normal spot on the desk next to her sister's being unoccupied.

"Woah, Iffy, what's the hurry?" the Planeptune Goddess asks, swivelling around in her chair with her arms folded across her chest, and a smirk on her face, like some sort of evil genius. The only things missing are the cat on the lap and the evil laugh.

"Turn on... the radar." IF gasps, still panting, resting her hands on her knees. "The one that.. tracks the S-level Monsters."

Slightly confused but compliant anyway, Neptune swivels around and taps a few keys in on her keyboard, causing the screen that takes up the northern face of the room to flicker into life, displaying a map of Gamindustri with red markers scattered all over it - coincidentally, the very same map that her friend Noire had been looking at about half an hour ago, before all communication in and out of Lastation had been mysteriously cut off.

Neptune knew that (at least, only the latter part) because she had, characteristically, decided to go and harass the other CPU instead of doing the work that her sister normally did for her. She was met with an error message, stating that there was something wrong with Lastation's networking, a problem that 'would be fixed as soon as possible'. Her five subsequent tries, spread out over thirty minutes on multiple devices, each more worried than the last, had also ended in failure.

Lastation has the most advanced networking technology on the planet. Problems as severe as that are incredibly rare, and, even then, are almost always resolved within minutes. So, Neptune had reasoned, there is definitely something wrong.

What they are seeing now proves it.

"Oh. My. Neppers." Neptune says, jumping to her feet in an exaggerated display of surprise that, perhaps for the first time, is totally warranted. The red markers, normally sparse enough to be counted on two hands and maybe a foot or two, are bunched together in a single roiling circle at the centre, weaving in and out of each other like some sort of co-ordinated dance. Already, some of them are beginning to move away from the centre, slowly but surely making their way directly to the capitals of each of the four nations.

It doesn't take long for the three of them present in the control room to figure out one simple fact - there is no way they're going to stop that thing before it takes out at least half of Planeptune. But that doesn't mean they aren't going to try.

Two of them, anyway.

Neptune lets out a tired, resigned, 'why-me' sort of sigh, and then switches into full crisis mode. In a flash of blinding purple light, she shifts into her CPU form, her hair elongating and turning into a darker shade of purple just as her body twists and morphs into that of her aged form. A black bodysuit appears around her, taking the place of her signature white hoodie. Two pairs of wings snap into place behind her, hovering behind her shoulder blades.

"Histoire, get the nationwide broadcasts working." she says, her voice now a slight pitch deeper, "We'll evacuate every city east of Celeste, and launch the airships from the port there. If we assume that the monsters will be spreading themselves out equally amongst the four nations, we'll be able to use the military to lure almost all them into the Capital and trap them until the bombs are ready."

IF sighs - she'll never cease to be surprised by how Neptune's persona can change so completely with just a flash of light and a few words. Purple Heart is everything that Neptune is not - serious, hardworking, capable of making a decision that would leave half her nation in smouldering ruins without batting an eyelid. That's why her friend shifts form whenever there's some sort of crisis to deal with.

In a strange way, it's sort of unnatural. Neptune has made it clear before that her human and CPU personalities are almost like separate people sharing the same body. The act of transforming whenever something this important comes up is almost like an act of resignation, of giving up, acknowledging that human Nep will never hold a candle to CPU Nep when it comes to running a nation. An admission of her own incompetence, her own lack of ability. Maybe even a sort of guilt over being unable to do her job herself. It's unlike her, really.

She's probably reading too much into this. Probably. But even so, IF can't help but feel that there's a certain truth to that statement. In _that_ way, at least, she's similar to her friend.

"Neptune, I feel that it's my duty to inform you of the consequences such an action will have..." Histoire says, her eyes wide with worry. "We don't have time to move everything out of the capital. If we-"

"I know the consequences." Purple Heart cuts her off, gritting her teeth, "But we have no choice. It will pain me to see this city fall to ruin, but as long as the people of our nation survive, we can build it again." Unaware that Noire had said nearly the same thing merely half an hour ago, the harshness of her voice dulls as she turns towards IF. "IF, you should start packing. This city needs to be empty by midnight."

IF's heart twists slightly at how obvious that decision is, how little thought the required, and gives a small nod. "And you?" she asks, although she already knows the answer, "Are you going to leave?"

"No. I will stay here until the threat has been dealt with." Purple Heart replies, turning around and striding across the inside of the control room to stand in front of the map, her eyes darting from one point to the other as she takes in the movements of the monsters, IF's presence now nothing more than a distraction from more important matters, "Go."

The guild member nods, seeing no point in arguing, and turns around, leaving the control room. The circular metal door slides shut behind her. When she's sure that the door is shut, she turns around and stares at if for a good minute or two, running a hand through her already messed-up hair, her eyes blank as images of the incoming chaos flash across their mind.

She knows that she'd be unable to convince her friend to put her own safety in front for once. And, what's more, she knows that there is absolutely nothing she can do to help. She can hunt monsters. She can gather intelligence. But when it comes to something like this, something so overwhelmingly powerful that it can raze Planeptune to the ground, she is worthless.

Just like she had always been. In these moments, the ones that matter the most, she can't do jack shit. Not like Histoire, not like Neptune. It's in moments like these that what has always been the truth is made despairingly obvious to her: she's nothing more than a single human being, trying her best to stay afloat in an ocean that had drowned gods.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" she murmurs, too softly for anyone but herself to hear. In the end, that's all she can do - sit there, say empty words to a steel wall, and wait.

 _Useless._

* * *

Looking at her little suitcase, IF is strangely confounded by just how little she has in the way of possessions. Besides her few sets of clothes, she has only a laptop, some weapons, and a few pretty-much-worthless trinkets she picked up on her travels.

That says a lot about just how much of a mark she has made on the world.

Neptune had made the evacuation order about half an hour ago, and already, transports all over Planeptune are carrying refugees away from their homes - homes that would very likely soon be no more. It's not exactly a pleasant image to be holding in her mind, so she tries to put it aside. But it's not easy, considering that soon she too will be joining them, leaving her own little home inside the Basilicom behind for the refugee camps of who-knows where. She'll be just like everyone else. Helplessly watching, pointlessly waiting, vainly praying to nonexistent gods for good news.

A large lump of snow slams itself into IF's window - a reminder that it's winter, and that sunlight will be hard to come by. A grim reminder that there exists a world outside of her little paradise, a world that she loves, a world that will soon burn - one way or another.

Thankfully, Planeptune is well equipped do deal with this sort of crisis. Tent-like settlements to accommodate the incoming refugees have probably already been set up on the cities near the west coast, and soon, many more would be dotting the landscape of western Planeptune. Food reserves, stocked up during the years of peace, will last for at least several years if they have to.

CyberConnect2 sits on her windowsill, watching from a respectful distance as IF packs her bags, making an odd comment here or there whenever the silence grows oppressive. Occasionally, she'd ask IF a few questions about the origins of one of her possessions. This goes on for about ten more minutes, until IF pulls back, letting out a soft sigh.

Seeing that she has finished, CC2 hops off the windowsill and walks forward, kneeling down besides IF and whispering into her ear. "Sorry about this, but I need to take you somewhere. Somewhere the trains aren't running to." she says, her tone apologetic but leaving no room for argument, "Those are orders, I'm afraid."

IF blinks. "Where?"

"We'll be going to Leanbox." she replies, "My friend has prepared a small cabin in the forest there, where the monsters can't reach us. There's plenty of food, and it'll protect us from the cold until the entire crisis is over."

"I'm staying in Planeptune, Cyber. I grew up here, and I'm not going to go running off to some isolated romantic hideout of yours until I'm sure those two idiots I have for friends aren't going to get themselves killed trying to act all heroic." IF says resolutely, shutting her suitcase with two loud, satisfying clicks as the locks snap into place. She won't be able to do anything by staying. She knows that. But still, she can't just sit by and watch as Neptune risks her life once again. At the very least, she will watch, and she won't run.

CC2 flinches, but quickly composes herself. "I guess that's a no, right?"

"Does that _sound_ like a no to you?" IF asks, her voice rising slightly in pitch. She pulls her luggage upright and walks towards the door, looking at her visitor over her shoulder, "I don't mind you sticking with me if you want, but I'm staying right here."

In the blink of an eye, the cat-girl jumps to her feet and leaps forward, flipping herself over IF's shoulder and lading in a crouch in front of the brunette, barring her exit. The wind caused by her rapid movement blows through IF's hair, causing it to flutter over her face slightly, concealing her expression of surprise.

"Sorry," CC2 says, pulling a dagger out from where it was hidden in her clothing and giving it a little twirl, "But I'll have to kidnap you. No hard feelings, all right?"

* * *

A/N: Whew! That was a good bit longer than usual. From now on, I'll probably be focusing an entire chapter on a single character/2 characters - at least for about 3-4 more. Next one will be pretty much exclusively IF.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.

EDIT: So I updated this chapter a little. Fixed a few sentences I found awkward, and added in some more stuff.


	7. Chapter 7

**[1.6]**

 **{IF/CC2}**

IF stares at the dagger glinting in her friend's hand. The blade glows with a faint green energy, indicating that it's something more than just a piece of sharpened metal. For a moment, it's like a dramatic freeze-frame in some movie - the two of them remain completely still, muscles tensed, eyes locked.

The moment is shattered as both of them move simultaneously, two flashes of green and blue. CC2 is fast, but IF is as well. She quickly jumps to the side, dodging the punch thrown at her gut. CC2 steps forward, swinging her dagger in wide arcs, forcing IF back into the room as the brunette dodges the swipes, her suitcase lying abandoned by the open door. In a single, fluid movement, CC2 tosses a dagger backwards, the force of the weapon's impact causing the door to swing shut.

"Look, IF," CC2 sighs, slightly uncomfortable with the hostile glare her target is aiming at her, "I'm _really_ not allowed to leave here without taking you with me. Commander's orders. I was told to keep you safe, and get you to the base before things _really_ go to hell."

"What do you expect me to do, just nod and come along quietly?" IF growls, "It's nothing personal, but you're trying to _kidnap_ me here."

The girl grins resignedly, giving her hair a scratch even as her free hand retrieves another dagger from where the first one came from. "I guess so. It was worth a try, anyway."

Now that she no longer has an easy route of escape, IF sinks down into a crouch of sorts and prepares herself for a fight. In order to kidnap her, Cyber would have to incapacitate her somehow, something that isn't going to be easy, especially considering her seeming unwillingness to cause her physical harm. The only way that is possible would be to use some form of sedative, which means that she would be safe as long as she stayed alert and avoided getting immobilised.

CC2 moves again, darting across the room and closing the distance between herself and IF in the blink of an eye. IF ducks under the dagger swing, noting that her assailant is trying to strike her with the flat of the blade. She dives to the side, trying to get around her and reach the door. But Cyber is faster, and she quickly steps in front of her, blocking her path and swinging again with the dagger, forcing IF to jump backwards to avoid the blow.

This process is repeated about five times or so, with IF trying to dart around her opponent and being cut off each time, slowly but surely being forced into a corner, where it would be much harder for her to move. When the same attack comes again, IF changes tactic and rolls onto the ground, kicking at CC2's ankles. CC2 jumps upwards, avoiding the attack, and IF quickly rises into a standing position again and spins to the side, punching at her assailant's left side as she makes once more for the door. Cyber blocks the blow with the outside of her left arm and uses the force of the attack to change direction in midair, vaulting over IF's head and poking at her face with her dagger, forcing the girl back again.

By now, IF is getting tired, her breaths becoming more and more uneven and laboured. Hand to hand combat has never been her forte, and while she preferred to use speed to overwhelm her opponents, Cyber is faster. If she wants to escape, she'll have to use weapons of her own. Stepping to the side to avoid another attack, IF reaches into the inside of her coat for one of her knives, her hand closing around the handle-

 _Will you do it, Green Sister?_ A voice sounds inside her head, sultry and taunting, _Will you take your weapon and fight back, knowing that you won't be able to resist causing her harm? Knowing that you'll delight in her pain?_

IF stops dead, her hand frozen in place. Her heartbeat quickens, and her world takes on a red tint. The one second of hesitation is all CC2 needs, and she kicks at IF's legs, tripping the brunette and forcing her to roll backwards in order to regain her balance.

 _You feel it, don't you?_ The voice that speaks to her is different this time - this is the first voice, the one that had started everything only three days ago. _The need to slash at living flesh. The need to draw blood. That redness creeping over your vision - accept it as part of you. Bask in it. Try your best to derive joy from it. Become one with me again._

IF jumps to the side, barely avoiding another swipe from CC2's dagger and finding her back trapped against the armchair - a grievous mistake. She hastily dodges to the left and then to the right, the blade of CC2's weapon passing close enough to her flesh for her to feel the wind caused by its movement. Her heartbeat continues to speed up, and a sense of panic begins to rise within her.

 _You are a weakling, Green Sister. You can see that, can't you?_ The deeper voice says, _Come on, accept her. Accept me. We will make you strong._

She continues to dodge desperately from side to side. She can tell that at the speed CC2 is attacking, she wouldn't be able to pull back in time if the blade was to actually hurt her - even if she wanted to. But her own movements are slowing, and her limbs feel heavy. One of her hands remains near the hilt of her knife, simultaneously wanting to pull it out and feeling afraid to.

 _It's your destiny, Green Sister. Your fate. It's all been set out for you, for us._ The higher pitched one says, _We were created all those years to inflict pain, to delight in slaughter, to wage war. Have you remembered, Green Sister? Do you remember my voice, Green Sister? Have you really forgotten, Green Sister?_

CC2 kicks once more at her legs, sweeping them out from underneath her before she can react, forcing her into a sitting position. She frantically uses her arms to deflect any of the strikes that come her way, pushing against her attacker's wrists and using her only barely superior strength to send the attacks flying to the side as she attempts to roll away. But the space she has to move in is too narrow, to constricting.

 _We can help you, Green Sister,_ the second voice says, _We can give you power, send it flowing through your veins again. You can protect all the things you want to protect. You can stay in Planeptune. You can repay Neptune. Accept us, you indecisive coward, and you can become strong._

Daggers sink through her sleeves and embed themselves into the floor of her room with two thuds, one after another. She tries to pull free, but the daggers don't move, locked in place by some invisible force.

 _Think about all those times you had to let Neptune fight the battles you could not._ The first voice says, _Think about all those times you stood next to our sister, unable to find the words to tell her what you truly wanted, what you truly thought. Think about all those times you failed in your duties, because you were worthless. Because you were imperfect. Because you were weak. Because you were human._

CC2 pulls out a syringe from her pocket and looks it over, checking that everything is in order. Trying her best to force an apologetic smile, the girl kneels down besides IF and plunges the syringe into the exposed skin of her right arm. "Sorry," she says, and injects the sedative into her bloodstream. Immediately, IF's vision blurs.

 _Think about it carefully, Green Sister. What have you ever_ done _by yourself? What good have you done to the world that has supported you so much? How have you repaid Neptune for saving your life when you first met? How have you repaid Compa for always being there for you? How have you repaid everyone for giving you a life, an identity, a home?_

She tries to tell the voice to shut up, to stop doing whatever it was that it was doing, but her mouth doesn't move. Her eyes close, and her body goes limp. The redness creeping over her eyes subsides, replaced by the black fog of sleep.

 _Think carefully, Green Sister._ the second voice says, _Think long and hard. When you have your answer, we will be there for you._

* * *

When IF wakes up, it's because of the biting cold and the feeling of snow on her face.

The world swims into clarity before her eyes, and she sees that she's in a forest, the dark brown bark of the trees framed perfectly by the white snow swirling around them. She shudders slightly and her body instinctively seeks out warmth - in this case, the warmth of the person who's carrying her through the snowstorm.

The slight tightening of her captive's arms around her neck and shoulders snaps CC2 out of her own little reverie, and she looks over her shoulder, giving IF an apologetic smile. "You're awake, huh?" she asks. "How're you feeling?"

"Cold. And I feel like I have a hangover." IF mutters, her mind still hazy, "Where are we?"

"Virtua Forest." CC2 says, "A bit longer, and we'll reach the Gamma base. We've set them up all over the four nations. Since it looks like a blizzard is on its way, we'll be staying there for the night, and maybe a few days after depending on how things work out. After that, I'll be taking you to the cabin I told you about."

IF attempts to get off her friend-turned-kidnapper's back and walk on her own, but her limbs don't respond properly to her commands, and CC2 quickly re-secures her into a comfortable piggyback position. "Don't move - The effects of the sedatives haven't worn off yet." she says apologetically, "You won't be able to function properly until you sleep it off. Since it has to knock people out immediately, it's some really strong stuff."

"I figured _that_ much." IF says, rolling her eyes and coughing, "I haven't felt this hammered since Nep tried to spike my coffee with Nep Bull." She pauses, as if suddenly remembering something important. "Cyber, what's the situation in Planeptune?" she asks, her tone a lot more urgent and worried than her previous, almost loopy muttering.

The two of them walk on in the snow (although only one of them is doing any actual walking), their footprints quickly being wiped away by the ever-increasing snowfall. Somehow, CC2 doesn't seem fazed at all by the cold, despite being dressed in something that looks more like it belongs on the beach than in Gamindustri's often-harsh winters. IF herself is dressed in her signature blue overcoat, and even then she feels colder than she's ever felt in years.

"Not good." the cat-girl replies, slowing down slightly to catch her breath, "Everything's screwed up. The monsters got there way sooner than expected, and the entire city's in turmoil. I almost died twice trying to get you out of there before things _really_ went to hell."

A chill runs down IF's spine - one far more intense than anything snow could cause - and she shudders slightly, her grip on the only person keeping her from toppling over like a bowling pin tightening. "What about Nep?" she asks, her voice rising slightly in pitch as her heartbeat quickens, "What about Compa?"

"Okay, I'm not going to lie to you. From what I saw, Lady Purple Heart was using herself as a beacon for the monsters and drawing them away from the city." Cyber pants, starting to walk again, albeit quite a bit slower than before, "I'm not sure how she did it, but she had a purple sphere around her that would send out pulses of energy every now and then. As for your nurse friend... I have no idea."

A blank look falls over IF's face for a second before she steadies herself again, pulling her mind off the drugs still circulating through her system and back into reality. "Cyber, we've got to go back." she says, sounding a bit too desperate for her own liking as panic floods through her veins, "Take me back."

"Sorry... but that's not happening." CC2 replies, stopping again to rest and catch her breath, "Right now, you're still... incapacitated. Don't... take this the wrong way, but you won't be able to do anything even if we did return in time to catch up to Lady Purple Heart. Besides, I'm already half dead right now after carrying you all this way. There's no way we'll make it back to the capital before the blizzard freezes us both to death."

A stab of pain shoots through IF's torso.

 _Weakling._

"Please, Cyber." IF gasps, trying to pry herself off her kidnapper's back, "I've got to go back. Nep, she's going to get herself killed."

 _Look at you, begging her so desperately for help. It's pathetic, isn't it?_

"Look, IF, I'm sorry." CC2 sights, shaking her head slightly. She brushes some snow off of IF's head, and then her own. "But it's just not possible. I'll make it up to you later, I promise, but for that to happen, we'll have to try our best not to die."

After another ten seconds or so, CC2 forges on into the snowstorm, knowing that the clock is ticking. If they dilly-dally any longer, they aren't going to make it out of this alive. The original plan had been to steal some form of transport, but with the capital city in chaos and monsters warping in all over the place, doing so would have done nothing more than attract attention and get them both killed. So, with no other choice, the cat-girl had carried her captive for the entirety of the journey - the old fashioned way. She's built for speed, not for sustained, heavy toil, and it's clear both to herself and to IF that it's taking its toll on her.

 _You let Neptune sacrifice herself. You lost Compa. Now, you're dragging your friend to the grave with you._

The snow comes pelting down even harder even as the forest thickens around the pair, swallowing them up in its embrace, taunting them, daring them to give in and succumb to the cold. A loud blast, some sort of explosion, echoes in the distance, followed by a thunderclap that lights up the darkening sky for a split second before being smothered again by the clouds.

 _You're nothing more than a burden. You can see that, can't you? You can feel her movements becoming sluggish. You can feel her ragged breathing. You can feel her body getting colder. And you can do nothing._

"Why are you doing this, Cyber?" IF asks, her voice soft, her still-warm breath flowing over her friend's ear, "Let me go. I need to go back."

CC2 ignores her, soldering on into the storm, searching for the faint flickering of an electric bulb that would herald their salvation. It shouldn't be far now - she'd come her plenty of times before, and she knows the landscape like the back of her hand. Even though the paths are covered by a thick layer of snow, even though the leaves have fallen, leaving the barren trees unprotected from the unrelenting cold, she can still see the familiar curve of the land, the winding of the forest path that she had trod on so often.

 _You are weak, Green Sister._

Then, unbidden, the cat-girl begins to talk. Part of her wonders why, wonders if the cold - the threat of a never-ending rest - has made her insane. But regardless, she talks. "See, IF," she says, each word punctuated by a step forwards and a tired breath, "I'm doing this because I'm not from this world. My friends and I - we came here two thousand years ago, when we lost our own."

 _Remember our promise? We can grant you power. Then, you can protect her, just as she is protecting you now._

"You know, we lost everything except each other. We watched everything we knew crumble to dust," CC2 continues, "We were powerless then."

 _Listen to her, Green Sister. She knows what it means to be weak. She knows what it means to be helpless. She knows how it feels to watch others fight your battles, unable to fight them yourself. And she knows that their kindness must be repaid._

"But we're stronger now. My friend, she made a deal with someone who used to be a Goddess. She found strength for us. She did terrible things. To you... To other people. We all did terrible things. But now, we have power." she sighs, "We're going to repay them all, IF. We're going to build our world again..."

"I care about you, IF. Maybe more than anything else in _this_ world. Your world. But I have a debt to repay, a debt that's even greater than our debt to you. So... I - I can't take you back."

IF's sleepy mind tries her best to decode her friend's speech, to make sense of all the implications, the hints, the clues. But she can't. Her thoughts are too muddled, too sluggish. All she knows is that the girl carrying her on her back is probably speaking the truth.

 _She did it, Green Sister. She made sacrifices. She recognised her incompetence. Her weakness. She threw aside her pride, and asked for help. In return, she received her power. The power that she used to overwhelm you back in Planeptune. The power she is using now to protect you. To apologise to you._

The snow is building up on their bodies, numbing their senses, slowing their reflexes. Each step shakes some off, but more and more pile on in its place, weighing them both down. But suddenly, CC2 quickens her pace, her steps infused with a new purpose. She sees something - a flickering light in the distance. The lighthouse of Alexandria, shining out over the churning seas, guiding her daughters home, to the safety of her ports. A bit farther. Just a bit.

And then, without warning, IF's world is jolted to the side by a blur of red, yellow, and green, and she finds herself falling through the air, slamming down hard on the snow. It's thick enough to dull her impact, but, disoriented and still sedated, she doesn't realise what's happening until it's too late. By the time she forces herself into a sitting position, somebody unfamiliar to her stands between herself and CC2.

 _Weakling._ The voice in her head says, giggling.

* * *

"Well, look what we have here." the newcomer says, sneering at the two of them. "You guys won't be getting any further, I'm afraid. Magic's orders."

The girl's skin is a pale, almost corpse-like grey colour, which, combined with her mouse-like jacket, makes her look like some sort of imp. Her green hair flutters in wind, its colour contrasting sharply with the red and yellow of her baseball bat, which she twirls idly around in her right hand. Groggily, IF's mind puts the pieces together. They'd been attacked, and she had been knocked off CC2's back in the initial scuffle.

"Who are you?" CC2 asks, managing somehow to hide her weariness. "Get out of my way. If you've got a bone to pick, you can do it later."

"That ain't gonna happen, cat-lady." the imp girl says, pointing her bat at CC2, "I'm not liking this fucking snowstorm any more than you are, so I'd rather get this whole damned errand over quickly."

In a flash of green, CC2 draws her daggers, sinking into a fighting stance, her face distorted into a growl of anger. In the blink of an eye, she closes the distance between herself and their attacker, slashing twice at the imp-girl, who twists her body backwards, easily avoiding the blows and counterattacking with a wide swing of her bat, forcing CC2 backwards.

 _What will you do, Green Sister? Will you hide, and watch someone else do your fighting for you? Watch as she risks her life to save your sorry ass?_

Despite what she had said earlier, the imp girl obviously has no intention of achieving a speedy victory. She knows that both her opponents wouldn't last for much longer after their time spent in the snowstorm, while she herself can still hold out for ages. It's simply easier and less risky to fight a battle of attrition, allowing the weather to do her work for her.

 _She's slower than she is before, Green Sister. You can see that, can't you? If this continues, you will watch her die. For you. You are a burden, Green Sister. You know that, don't you? You know it just as well as I do._

CC2 darts at her a few more times, trying to break through and get to IF. But she's at a severe disadvantage, and they both know it. Tired out, the tips of her limbs slowly succumbing to frostbite, she knows that unless she finishes this soon, there would be no way out. Gritting her teeth, she darts forward again, but wherever she goes, the imp girl is always only a half-step behind her, swinging her bat in a wide arc, denying her passage.

 _What does this remind you of, Green Sister? Oh, right, I remember now. This was how you first met Neptune, wasn't it? You were tired after spending several days in the dungeon, trapped in the boss's cavern. But she fought off that dragon for you, didn't she? All by herself. For you. Remember how that ended?_

Cyber darts forward again, jumping into midair and kicking at her opponent, trying to vault over her shoulder. The imp-girl steps back, pulling away just in time, and IF watches as her friend's attack lands on thin air, unbalancing her. Triumphantly, their assailant twirls her bat and slams it into CC2's side, knocking her into the snow and sending her body rolling backwards.

 _You can still see it clearly, can't you? The terrified look on Compa's face as she rushed around, preparing medicines for her dear friend, lying unconscious on her bed. Those were not for you, but for the person that saved your life. Neptune, she was weak then. But she is stronger now. You? You are still a weakling._

Seeing a chance, the imp girl steps forward, slamming her bat downwards at CC2's prone body. She catches the bat with her bare hands, the force of the impact forcing her further down into the snow. The two wrestle for control, but her attacker is stronger, and doesn't have the handicap of having single-handedly carried a person slightly heavier than herself for at least several miles. Slowly but surely, the spiked tip of the bat descends towards Cyber's neck.

 _That's not the only time she saved your life, was it? There were other times. You remember them, don't you? All those times Neptune threw caution to the wind to protect you. All those dozens upon dozens of times. And how do you show your gratitude? You leave her alone in a fallen city, using her body as a beacon, a lure. She's dying right now, you know? I can feel her body is growing cold. You can't go back. You can't help her.. Oh, look, she just closed her eyes. I reckon that they're never going to open again._

IF blinks, tears of grief and frustration rising in her eyes. Even though she has no proof, she knows that the woman's words are true. She can feel it inside her - an important link, snapped forever. Before this, she had dismissed all those stories of lovers instinctively knowing of their partner's deaths as just romantic mumble-jumble, but now, she isn't so certain. "Shut up." she growls. Her voice is too soft to be heard over the sound of the snowstorm, being whipped helplessly away by the howling winds.

 _Right now, Planeptune's capital is burning. Everything, going up in flames. The tower where you first had lunch with those people you call friends - it's collapsed now, lying in ruins on the street. Soon, the airships will come, and they will obliterate what's left. A clean slate. All those years of toil, gone in an instant. They won't find Neptune's body. Before she left, she ordered them not to bother looking for it._

"Sh-shut up!" IF yells, her voice cracking slightly, before falling to an almost silent whisper, "That _idiot_ , how the fuck does she do it? I leave her alone for just half a day, and..."

CC2 twists to the side, throwing her left dagger at her assailant's chest. The imp girl pulls back to dodge the attack, cursing, and Cyber rolls free, one hand on her side, gasping for breath. Her reflexes are slowing now, her superior speed no longer the asset it was earlier. Worn out and left with only one weapon, she's forced backwards, managing only barely to parry the imp girl's strikes, each one sending jarring shock waves up her arm.

 _Now, look at her. If you weren't here, she'd be safe by now. If she didn't kill herself half-dead trying to carry you all this way, she'd be able to fight and win. Even now, she's fast, and she can still run. But she doesn't run. Do you know why, Green Sister? She's risking her life for you. Throwing it all away, just to give you a chance. She loves you, she feels indebted to you, she cares for you, she'll do everything to protect you. Just like Neptune does - oh, my bad, I meant 'did'._

The imp girl lands another blow, the bat smashing straight into CC2's shoulder, sending a loud crack echoing through the clearing. Cyber staggers backwards, her left arm rendered useless, collapsing onto the snow with a muffled thud, her chest rising and falling unevenly.

 _Think carefully, Green Sister._ The voice says, taunting her, _Think long and hard._

IF's heartbeat quickens, and a sharp, stabbing pain races through her body. The pain of frustration, the pain of anger, the pain of holding back and burying several years worth of guilt and self hatred, bursting out in a single moment.

She let Neptune die, even after everything the goddess had done for her. She had let her home, the city where she grew up, the city where all her memories lay, the city she once swore to protect - she had let that city burn to the ground, razed by monsters. She'd lost track of Compa, even after they promised to stay together forever. It was all her fault. Because she was weak. Because she was human. Because she was negligent. She isn't about to let another friend die as well.

"I'll do it." IF whispers.

 _Hm?_

"Give me power." IF says, louder this time, "I'll accept you, like you asked. So give it to me."

 _Good girl._ The voice in her head lets out an amused laugh _. Hold on tight, because you're in for a hell of a ride._

* * *

Both CC2 and her attacker freeze in place as a massive blast of emerald lightning descends upon the clearing in an ear-splitting crack, sending out a shock wave strong enough to knock the imp girl flying backwards. Her weapon flies out of her hand, the killing blow she was preparing to land forgotten.

CC2 feels her heartbeat quickening, her breaths becoming more and more uneven. In part, it's because of the overwhelming pain in her left arm, now _definitely_ broken. In part, it's because she'll finally be seeing _her_ again, after being separated for too long. But more importantly, it's a completely irrational fear. She knows that has no reason to be afraid. But somehow, despite all this, she's terrified, seized by a fear so intense that she can almost see her own pupils dilating.

Beside her, the imp girl lets out a startled, similarly terrified yelp.

Where IF had been lying, there is now only a smouldering crater, deep enough for a human to lie down in. It is from this crater that someone who is simultaneously IF and someone _else_ rises, her ankle-length, pale green hair flowing off her back like water, trailing down to the charred ground beneath her. The instant she recognises the figure, CC2's heartbeat begins to quicken as her throat is seized by a dry sensation.

She's going to live, which couldn't have been said mere minutes ago. She ought to be glad that she has been given the chance to meet with her again. But she feels no relief - only a creeping sense of unease, giving birth to a murky, undefined feeling of terror.

The girl standing where IF once was looks coldly down at CC2 and the imp girl, her red eyes glinting with a demonic light. They look similar enough - enough that anyone who is familiar at all with the brunette would be able to see the connection immediately. Unlike IF, though, there is something distinctly _off_ about this new figure, something hard to place a finger on but still definitely there.

She is clad in a skin-tight black bodysuit, over which a similarly black one-sleeved robe flaps like a cape, it's large right sleeve resembling that of some sort of traditional Chinese garb. All along her left shoulder and arm, down to her hip - the side uncovered by her robe - the blackness of her clothing gives way to a smouldering crimson. It starts out as as nothing more than a series of impossibly straight, ridiculously intricate lattice of cracks in her suit and the skin under it. But even as she finishes rising into a standing position, blood begins to flow out of the cracks, transforming them into a flowing, scarlet river that twists its way all the way from her elbow down to the tip of her fingers, falling to the ground in a steady drip, drip, drip.

Her right hand grasps a single, strangely oriental weapon that looks like a hybrid between a spear and a whip - a short staff, followed by several long strands of string, all tied to a barbed, jade-coloured tip. As she walks out of the crater and towards the two girls lying on the ground, the thick snow melts beneath her feet, parting to let her pass.

Her hair, although longer and green coloured, is styled in the same way, except that her leaf-like ribbon has elongated itself into two jagged, curved blades, a lava-like pattern winding its way through the blackened fabric. Her face is similar enough of IF's, but her mouth is twisted into a subtle, almost demonic smirk and her left pupil is slit like a cat's and slightly larger than her right, throwing off the symmetry and turning what might have been considered attractive into something that looks more uncanny.

"Hey, Sis..." she says, her voice oddly friendly and even hesitant, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

* * *

"Y-yeah, it has." CyberConnect2 says, trying her best to keep her voice from shaking as she props herself up into a sitting position with her right arm, while her left one dangles uselessly by her other side. She forces a good-natured grin, even as the creeping, growing fear tightens its grip on her. "You haven't grown at all, Iris."

"Neither have you, sis. I guess that makes us the same, doesn't it?" the girl that was once IF says, tilting her head a bit _to_ o far to the side and twirling her hair around her left hand thoughtfully. When she stops, the green strands are stained red with her own blood. She sits herself down on the snow next to CC2. "Did you miss me?"

"Yeah, I missed you a lot." CC2 grins, wincing at the throbbing pain in her arm. There's something about the malicious yet naively childlike nature of the girl that unnerves her, sets her on edge. It hadn't been like that before the were separated - but, as she knows all too well, a lot can happen in a thousand years. "Are you all right?" she asks, choosing her words carefully, "You're sort of... different. Did something happen?"

She doesn't have to fake any of it. Her longing to meet with this girl again, her concern over her wellbeing, her (only slightly untrue) comment about her not having aged a bit, meant as a compliment - it's all genuine. At least, she hopes it is, wishes it is. At the same time, though, being around Iris terrifies her. It's a strange feeling, being both overjoyed, guilty, and scared out of her wits. The part of her that's not desperately trying to convince the other part to get up and run wonders if she'll ever experience something like it ever again.

Back then, when things first started to go wrong, she had known that the procedure would have side-effects. She had thought that she'd be able to bear it. Now, though, it's being made clearer by the second that she had overestimated herself - or, perhaps, underestimated the side effects.

"Well, a thousand years happened." the girl called Iris says, pouting slightly and tilting her head to the side in a gesture that CC2 had once found endearing, but now only serves to make her strangeness, her scary-ness, her uncanniness more pronounced. "It was really boring in that red room, you know? This creepy voice kept whispering in my head. Besides, the chains cut into my wrists, and they still hurt like crazy."

CC2 winces again and averts her eyes, her voice dropping to a low mumble. "I know." she murmurs, "I'm sorry."

"It's all right, sis. You don't have to be sorry - it's not your fault." she replies, somehow managing to sound comforting yet sinister at the same time, "You know, I learnt something in that room: I learnt that I've always been a bad person. Iris is insane, crazy, evil, and - what was that word Plutie liked to use? Oh, right, twisted. As it turns out, Iris is twisted. I was twisted all along, apparently. Born that way. So, um, it's not your fault, okay?"

A chill runs down CC2's spine, and her mouth glues itself shut.

The way she had referred to herself in third person, the way she had called herself evil, the way she had twisted her hair around her finger - small gestures that CC2 had grown so familiar with over her nights spent reminiscing that she had forgotten they could still hurt her. The only difference between now and back then is that she can no longer tell Iris that she isn't evil, that she isn't in some way twisted - at least, not without lying through her teeth and knowing it. The primal fear welling up within her is proof enough of that fact.

The girl called Iris stands up and picks up her staff, swinging it through the air. The barbed tip descends from above with a terrifying speed, but just when it's about to come into contact with CC2's prone body, she jerks her wrist backwards, and it only lands a light tap on the cat-girl's left shoulder. Immediately, a greenish glow spreads over her broken arm, and the pain dulls itself.

"This should help for now - I'll try fix it properly later," the green-haired girl says, letting out an apologetic sigh, "But first, Plutie told me something about a 'Rei' lady asking her for a favour. So, just wait here, okay? I've just, um, got to go kill a mouse."

CC2 feels her body shiver a little, and she knows that it's not because of the cold. This _new_ Iris, who is at once familiar and completely alien - every action she takes has the ability to tear her in two, one half longing, the other half fear. It's... uncanny. Everything about her is uncanny. If you could sum up her entire existence in a word, that word would be 'uncanny'.

The imp girl, who had been trying to sneak away while the two of them were talking, stops dead in her tracks, the terrified yet resigned look on her face the embodiment of the term 'well shit, looks like I'm fucked'. She isn't an idiot, and just a look at the newcomer had been enough for her to realise that the action that would give her the best chance of survival would be to get the hell out while her enemies are distracted. As a consequence, she is unarmed, having decided that attempting to retrieve her bat - which lies on the opposite side of the clearing - would just be a waste of time.

Iris stands up and pats some snow off herself, reaching forward with her bloody left hand to do the same to CC2. Realising her mistake, she pauses, then switches hands, gently brushing the snow from the cat-girl's cold body. It reminds CC2 of the way she used to caress the surface of one of those black and yellow record disks she loved so much, blowing the dust off of it.

It also reminds her of the way someone would carefully peel an apple, before slicing it up and devouring the pieces.

Then, all the gentleness is gone with the wind, and Iris's body jerks to the right in an unnaturally harsh movement, her eyes aimed directly at the imp girl, who is sprinting desperately for the forest but getting nowhere fast, bogged down by the thick snow around her. Needless to say, she's too slow. Before she can even blink, Iris is front of her, her whip-staff raised above her head, a predatory smile on her face.

With a sharp cracking sound, the weapon descends through the air, all of it's energy being transferred to and concentrated at the barbed tip, which strikes the imp girl directly on the exposed skin of her collarbone. A pain hundreds of times more intense than what such an attack (powerful as it was) ought to have caused courses through her body, forcing her onto her knees, any obscenities she might have uttered swallowed up by an agonised scream.

Three more cracks ring through the air, each blow calculated to land directly on openings of her victim's meridians, causing intense pain but hardly any physical damage - although CC2 knows that if Iris is really aiming to kill, she would have done so easily by now. Every crack is followed by another strangled scream, creating an odd rhythm of sounds that is almost symphonic in its rhythm.

CC2 notes that all of her movements are almost mechanical in their straightness and precision, abruptly starting and stopping - they hadn't been like that a thousand years ago. Before they were forced to lock Iris away. She was more natural then. More human. More vulnerable.

Finally, having had enough of the torture, Iris steps back and grabs her victim by the neck with her left arm, lifting her up into the air like a rag doll. The blood flowing from the cuts on her left arm begins to consolidate, flowing up her arm to her fingertips. It forms itself into a slowly tightening, jagged noose around the imp girl's neck, cutting into her skin and bringing agony with every breath her victim takes. The imp girl desperately pulls at the blood noose, trying to break free, but it holds firm, strong as the densest crystal, slowly but surely suffocating her.

Iris watches, a gleeful light dancing in her eyes as the imp girl stops struggling and hangs limp in the air, giving in to her fate and hoping that it would end quickly. A faint curse escapes her lips, although it's unclear what exactly it is she's cursing at. The pain, her attacker, her fate - only a few amongst a myriad of possibilities.

With a lick of her lips, Iris tightens her grip, sending a loud crunching sound echoing through the night air. The imp girl lets out a terrified, muffled yelp before falling silent again. Her head is snapped unnaturally to the right, her neck definitely broken, her eyes now seeing nothing more than a void even darker than the night that has fallen over the forest. The few tears that remain on her face drop onto the ground, mixing with the her own blood, and the blood of the one who took her life.

Iris lets out a high-pitched, childlike giggle.

CC2 shivers again.

* * *

Both CC2 and the girl named Iris sense the arrival of another being in the courtyard at the same time. The cat-girl shouts a warning, but she didn't need to - even as the long, thrashing tongue slams itself into the snow where she once was, Iris has already jumped out the way, her weapon swinging through the air and landing a direct hit on her attacker's forehead. Once again, a loud cracking sound rings through the clearing. However, this time, no scream follows it, and the attacker shrugs it off as it it was nothing.

"You can take her if you want." Iris says, nodding towards the newcomer and dropping the imp girl casually onto the ground. "Plutie only asked me to kill her, so I don't care what you do with the body."

CC2 strains her eyes to see who it is, but night has already fallen, and in the swirling darkness of the snowstorm, all she can make out are two glowing yellow eyes and a large, almost turtle-like shadow, with an unnaturally long tongue attached to its triangular face.

"Heheheheehheeee!" the shape lets out a high pitched laugh. "Your kind gesture is appreciated, little girl!Otherwise, I'd have had to to ruin those lovely clothes of yours - they look _re-heeally_ good on you." The long tongue extends downwards, picking up the limp body of the imp girl and wrapping her in its probably-slimy embrace. Several heavy footsteps later, the shape disappears into the darkness, leaving CC2 alone with Iris in the clearing.

A completely unbidden and out of place thought flashes through her mind. ' _So she's still as flat as a board, huh...'_ followed by ' _I should probably avoid bringing that up'._

* * *

Iris returns to CC2's side with a single jump, somehow managing to judge the distance perfectly despite the darkness making it near-impossible to make out any shape in the dark, let alone that of a girl buried under a growing layer of snow, almost indistinguishable from the blanket of bloodstained white that covers the ground she lies on.

"Who was that?" she asks, looking up at the girl standing besides her, "Did you know him?"

"Sort of." Iris replies, kneeling down and helping CC2 into a sitting position with her right hand, her weapon held in her left. "Plutie warned me about him, said something about the possibility that the girl might have backup. Our talk kept being interrupted by some sort of static, so I couldn't get any specifics. All I remember hearing was that he's a pedophile of sorts."

"So there was someone trying to stop the conversation?" Cyber asks, nodding her thanks and trying to keep her growing sense of unease at bay, with a reasonable amount of success. By now, she's sure that there's something _off_ about Iris, a sort of aura that seems to instil a sense of creeping fear in anyone around her. A curse. One that she had personally applied, although not entirely intentionally.

"I suppose so." Iris replies, letting out a sigh and scooting away from the cat-girl, putting some distance between them, as if she knows that her presence makes CC2 uncomfortable. "Is this better for you?"

"Not really." the cat-girl replies, deciding to be honest. Even though she can no longer make out Iris's figure in the darkness, the girl's pair of glowing red eyes continues to blink open and shut, two lantern-like lights that makes her skin crawl. She shivers slightly.

"Are you cold?"

"Sort of. You?"

"Yeah, very."

It's too dark now. With no light source and her sense of direction thrown off in all the chaos that had occured, trying to find their way to the base right now would be suicide - unless some miracle occurs, they'd get lost in the forest and, well, die. Iris might be able to survive by herself, fly away to a city somewhere, but with an injured and worn out CC2 to take care of as well, that option isn't available.

If things continue this way, the imp girl wouldn't be the only dead body in the clearing by the time morning comes around.

The two of them stop speaking for a while.

"S-sis, it's probably too much to ask, but... would you mind if I, you know... like we used to..." Iris murmurs, her voice wavering slightly, the rest of her sentence being whisked away by the howling winds. There's something desperate and almost despairing about the girl's tone that twists CC2's heart into an _especially_ complicated knot - she hears the self-hatred in that voice, and it pains her.

She hesitates, but not for long. "Go ahead." she murmurs, "Do whatever you like."

Terror rises inside her again as Iris nears her, the need to flee coursing through her veins, but she fights it back, forces herself to stay rooted to the spot, knowing that there is nothing to be afraid of.. The sensation of a cold hand locking with her own, the feeling of a head coming to a rest on her shoulder, the pressure of another body against her own, the modicum of heat their skin radiates coming into contact, merging together - they all set her on edge, make her heartbeat quicken, accelerating her breathing. But she forces it under control.

There had been a time when such contact would have made her feel at ease, filled her with a sense of warmth and comfort. Now, where there had once been love and acceptance, she feels only the coldness born from lack of substance, an emptiness that gnaws away at her heart and her conscience.

"Sorry." Iris says. The grip on her hand tightens. "I'm running out of energy. I'll leave soon, so..."

"D-don't worry about it." CC2 replies, her voice quavering slightly in pitch, "I don't know what changed about you, but we'll work something out somehow." The rustle of hair and the change of pressure on her right shoulder indicates to her that Iris is nodding. They stay like that for another minute or so, the girl snuggling against CC2s right arm, her left one held out behind her, staining the snow red, while the latter tries her best to remain calm and hide her fear.

After a while, she breaks the silence, her voice shaking, "What are we going to do?"

"Falcom is on her way. I can sense her presence." Iris replies, her voice nothing more than a whisper, "She was nearby when the lightning struck, so she knows where we are."

"That's... good. Thank god..." Under normal circumstances, CC2 would have let out a sigh of relief - but with Iris clinging onto her arm, it's not possible. Instead, her heartbeat continues to quicken, her breathing gets more erratic, and she feels herself break out into a sweat despite the chill, her palms growing clammy even as the hand intertwined with her own grows colder by the second.

Who knows how long later, some snow falls into her eye. She lies there, thinking, for a bit before realising that she can't get it off - not when her left arm is broken and her right is being used as a body pillow. That's when she realises that she has calmed down, and that she no longer feels afraid.

Soon enough, as Iris had predicted, the light of a lantern pierces through the darkness, slicing through the shadows and illuminating what for a second seems to be the entire world. Falcom's silhouette soon appears, framed by the light, almost sprinting through the darkness, her long ponytail bouncing around behind her as she moves. Her breath forms clouds in the cold winter air.

The redhead stops a few steps away from where the two of them are lying on the ground, hands on her knees, panting slightly as she catches her breath. The lantern lies on the floor, a glowing beacon of hope, bringing light, bring warmth, bringing the promise of salvation. CC2 looks towards her right side, and sees that Iris has become IF again, sleeping peacefully, using her shoulder as a pillow. The sight of her brown hair and blue overcoat brings both a sense of relief and disappointment.

Just like that, the spell is broken, and CC2 suddenly feels like something that has been empty for too long inside her has been filled. She attempts to pat IF on the head, but her left arm remains unmoving, still broken.

"I see that you two have been doing some catching up." Falcom says, grinning at her friend in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, "You've, um, still got your little thing going, right?"

"Cut the crap, Falcom. We can talk after you get us to the base, and we establish that we won't die of hypothermia." CC2 replies, almost laughing out loud with relief. As her friend bends down and lifts both herself and IF up, one on each shoulder, she finds herself hoping that the darkness is enough to hide the faint blush creeping onto her face.

* * *

A/N: Whew! My god, somehow this turned out to be _way_ longer than I expected, but that's just how things are, I guess. I finally got around to writing for Green Sister IF, so I got a bit carried away. Next chapter would be about Neptune and Nepgear, but probably won't come until at least a good week into June, since I've got tons of work I've been putting off (I feel like I say this every single chapter :P). It's my first time trying to write something like this with all the psychological guilt stuff, so go easy on me. I feel like it maybe could have been better, but who knows?

Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews would be greatly appreciated ^-^


	8. Chapter 8

**[1.7]**

 **[1.7]**

 **{Neptune/Nepgear}**

Even as her mind clouds over from a combination of fatigue and pain, Neptune finds herself wondering at how familiar this feels.

The sensation of her flesh being torn apart by a burning hot burst of energy is one that is far more easily recognisable to her than she'd have liked. A few years ago, when they had first met in a hidden boss room after losing their way in the dungeon, she had thrown herself into the path of a similar attack in order to protect IF. She had shielded Noire from a similar attack a few years later. And then, of course, there had been the time when she had literally torn out half her soul to create Nepgear.

She remembers _that_ well. If only because it had hurt like crazy.

It's funny, how these instances had always involved sacrificing herself for others. IF. Noire. Nepgear. And now, all of Planeptune. Mentally, she nods to herself - now _that's_ a history of good deeds fitting for the protagonist of protagonists. Hardly anyone else can lay claim to the 'bravely-sacrifice-yourself-for-others-and-almost-die-three-times' certificate, which she assumes would be awarded to her posthumously.

As a final effort to remain conscious, she tries to count the ways that this situation is different from before. For one, she isn't doing this by choice. Secondly, she's probably going to _actually_ die. Thirdly, it hurts like _hell_. And then, of course, there's the sound of her sister's insane laughter ringing on indistinctly in the background, mixing with her own screams.

Now _that's_ certainly something she's never experienced before.

* * *

 **Planeptune, Two Hours Ago.**

* * *

Even as the first evacuation train is filled with people and sent on its way, a large, jagged hole is slowly torn open in the sky above it, revealing a dark, swirling void beneath. A warp gate: a pathway that connects two places, like a bridge that transcends space and time.

Nepgear watches the scene unfold from her bedroom window with tired, almost uncaring eyes. The first of the monsters pokes its head through the distorted space and steps into the city, its massive size sending people sprawling all around it. Soon, more and more follow, pooling into the streets of Planeptune's capital like water spilling through a broken glass.

"So I guess I really am useless after all... I'm sorry, Neptune..."

Even as she mutters these words to herself, she wonders if its all just an excuse. All of the self-doubt and all the shyness - there are times when she feels that it's nothing more than a mask, a convenient ruse to hide behind whenever she feels like running away, and pushing responsibility to someone else. The thought sits uneasily in the back of her mind.

But no. This time, she can't be weak. In less than a month, she'll be taking over as the ruler of the nation, and to do that, she needs to be strong. Like her sister is. She has to be like Neptune. Yes, that's what needs to be done. Think, Nepgear, think! What would Neptune do?

She would fight. She would think of something. She would protect her people.

Her hands trembling, the candidate reaches for her sword, which lies at the foot of the bed, where she had thrown it hours before. Even as her hand closes around its handle, her vision flashes red, and she pulls away in surprise and fear, dropping the beam sword and wincing at the harsh clanging sound it makes as it hits the ground.

In the distance, the monsters continue to pour out of the warp gate, sending vehicles and people scattering in all directions as they trash around aimlessly, with no purpose other than to cause destruction. Buildings crumble to the ground, unable to withstand the impact of their gargantuan bodies and blasts of energy. Fires catch hold and start to spread, transforming the East Boulevard of the capital city into a growing sea of crimson flame and screaming people.

Nepgear watches, hating herself for her weakness, and hating herself for letting that stop her from taking action.

A knock sounds on her door, and she turns around, kicking the beam sword under her bed as she makes her way to the door. When she pulls it open, she sees Histoire floating there, noticeably out of breath, with grey singe marks all over her clothes and body.

"Have you seen Neptune?" the tome asks.

"I - uh - no, I haven't." Nepgear replies, surprised. As far as she knew, Neptune was never one to disappear when the situation is _really_ dire. And if any situation could be called 'dire', this would definitely be it. "Um... did something happen? Is it something to do with that hole in the sky?"

"When the warp gate opened, your sister blasted a hole through the ceiling of the control room and took off somewhere." Histoire says, her hands fidgeting uncomfortably with each other. This only serves to further Nepgear's sense of unease - seeing the Oracle flustered is about as rare as seeing Neptune well-and-truly upset. "I would have put IF in charge of the defences, but she's gone as well. I'm sorry, but things are falling apart right now, so I have to go and-"

"I-I'll do it."

Histoire blinks, stopping halfway through the motion of turning around and flying off. "Nepgear?"

"I can direct the armed forces. I'm the CPU candidate, right? I should be able to-"

"Nepgear," the Oracle sighs, her tone softening, "I'm sorry, but I can not allow that. Your mental state is unstable right now, and we need you to be in top condition when the shift occurs. If something goes wrong, things will end up much worse than they currently are. So please, just stay in your room, and try to get some rest."

A silence falls over the two of them as Nepgear processes this information. "I... I understand." she finally says, her voice soft and her eyes downcast. She turns around and slips back into her room, sliding the door shut behind her. Histoire remains hovering outside the door for a moment, but soon, blaring alarms force her away and onto other matters.

Nepgear sighs, alone again in the 'comfort' of her bedroom. Even in times like these, when she's supposed to be strong, when she's supposed to be the protector and not the protected, she's useless. Stuck in her room like a child, unable to do even a tiny part of what a Candidate should be doing in a situation like this.

In daily life, when her sister is lazing around doing nothing, she's the one people call 'dependable'. But when things _really_ go wrong, and people _truly_ need someone to depend on, she's never good enough. In the end, it's always Neptune who saves the day, Neptune who gets things done. Always Neptune.

 _Aren't you tired of it?_

"T-tired of what?" she asks, not bothering to question the presence of another voice in her mind. Somehow, the way it speaks to her is so natural, so _right_ , that it's as if it should have been there from the start.

 _Tired of always playing second fiddle. Tired of having all the menial chores shoved in your face while your sister goes out to save the world. Tired of always standing to the side, in the shadows, scurrying around like a slave, while Neptune stands in the spotlight, receiving all the praise and applause._

"What are you saying? That's impossible." Nepgear murmurs, trying to inject her voice with conviction but failing to, "I-I'm not jealous of my sister. There's no way I'm jealous of her. I love her."

 _You don't understand, do you?_ the voice snickers contemptuously. _Jealousy and love goes hand in hand. Right now, I am intensely jealous of Neptune. She has so much that I don't, so many things that I would have died for. Even though I love her as much as you do, I feel jealous of her. It's normal, my dear. Love, Envy, they're nothing more than two sides of the same coin. In the end, they both exist because of the same reason: somebody has something that you do not._

"W-"

 _Shut up and let me talk._ the voice snaps, sending a chill down Nepgear's spine. _You've often dreamt about what it would be like to be Neptune, haven't you? What it'd be like to be the center of attention, to be loved by everyone, to be strong and_ truly _dependable. You might have called it adoration, but really, it's just jealousy, isn't it? You, Nepgear, you are just like me. So just sit back, watch, wait, and it will all be yours._

"What do you mean?" she asks, her voice quavering, "What's happening to sis?"

 _She's selfless. More selfless than you and I put together - not that that's saying much. We are both selfish people, Nepgear. Don't lie to yourself. Even now, there's a part of you who wishes that Neptune will be gone forever._

"What's happening to Neptune?" Nepgear repeats, "What's going on?"

 _Planeptune is burning, Nepgear. If those monsters are allowed to enter the heart of the city, there will no hope of evacuating anybody safely. But monsters have always been attracted to share energy. Use that smart brain of yours and think, Nepgear. What would Neptune do? What would perfect, selfless, loveable Neptune do?_

She blinks, realisation slowly beginning to dawn on her. But even then, something else nags at the back of her mind. It's strange. The voice talking to her almost seems to be... in pain. Spiteful. Beyond the taunting, provocative, contemptuous tone, there lies a hatred, and an inexplicable grief.

 _Think about it. What has my - I mean,_ your _sister, pardon my slip of tongue - loved the most? Not me, not you, but this city. This nation. Our nation. Even if it means leaving everything behind, giving up her life and leaving us - both of us - alone, she'll protect this place. That's why everybody loves her so much. That's why_ _you_ _love her so much._

Nepgear narrows her eyes, confused. Whatever that was, it definitely wasn't a slip of tongue. For some reason, the voice had wanted to tell her something. But what? "S-so, what are you trying to..."

 _Let me take control._

"What?"

 _Just let go. Grab your sword, and hold close. Embrace all that it symbolises, and I will make everything right. Your love, your jealousy, your weakness - I will take them all from you. You have done too much by yourself, for too long. You have blamed yourself for all that is evil within you, even though the fault is not yours. So just relax, calm down, and let your onee-chan take care of you for once._

"...No."

 _Oh?_

"No! I'll do it myself." Nepgear says, her voice uncharacteristically firm and resolute, "I need to learn to be strong myself. I need to learn to be dependable like she is. I'm the CPU candidate of Planeptune, and soon, I'll become its Goddess. I don't need your help. _I'll_ save my sister, and _I'll_ save this nation."

 _My, you certainly have grown._ The voice lets out an amused but not altogether discouraging laugh. _Had things not been this way, you would certainly be worthy to inherit Planeptune._ She sighs. _It's a pity, I guess._

"What do you mean?"

 _I have grown soft over the years, Nepgear. But I am still a strict mistress, and I_ do _have my_ own _agenda. For now, I will not stop you if you choose to take action. However, I will warn you - against orders, because I've taken a_ _special_ _liking to you - that if you do, I will have to take some drastic measures. Some_ _delightfully_ _drastic measures._

Before Nepgear can respond, the sound of a loud explosion ripples through the air, followed by burst of purple light, painting the white walls of the candidate's room a bright lilac. All of a sudden, she feels a strange but familiar warmth wash over her. Pure share energy. And then, a single thought, overriding all else - _Neptune._

She no longer has time to think. Only now does she realise what her sister is doing - releasing a burst of share energy in order to draw the monsters towards her. She's using herself as a lure, a beacon.

Steeling herself, she grabs her beam sword, fighting down the initial red flash, and slings it over her shoulder and leaving everything else behind. Without looking back, she jumps out of her window and transforms into her CPU form, dashing off over the heads of the fleeing passerby. She knows where Neptune is - all she has to do is to follow that comforting warmth in her heart. Of course, the fact that every single monster in the area can and will follow it as well makes it a whole lot less comforting.

The voice in her head laughs at her, as if it finds all of this delightfully funny.

* * *

Neptune dances through the air, her movements as graceful as those of a dancer as she spins away from the incoming attacks, deflecting them with her blade and sending them back at her pursuers, bringing a few of them down. Behind her, a hoard of reptilian monstrosities, some walking, others airborne, follow in a gravely synchronised march, homing in like moths to a fire on her presence.

She continues to dart through the sky, dodging attacks and only half-heartedly striking back as she slowly but surely leads the invasion away from the capital. There's no point in expending any serious effort on exchanging blows - it would only tire her out, and taking out a few of the uncountable monsters behind her would hardly make any difference.

She had charged into this without a plan, as usual, but a few quick (if only slightly over-optimistic) calculations tell her that if she does nothing more than lead them away, she might be able to stall for long enough for Histoire to organise the military and bring things under control. She might even make it out with her limbs fully intact.

Seeing a few monsters begin to peel away from the procession in search of some easier prey in the form of the city's fleeing inhabitants, she discharges another burst of share energy, the purple blast washing over the burning streets of Planeptune's capital and causing the flames that simmer on the tarmac to quiver excitedly, eager for a new meal.

Her body is overcome by a bone-chilling cold, but she takes it in stride, and soon feeling returns to her limbs. But already, she's slowing down, the attacks that fly through the air around her coming closer, ever-so-slightly, to her body. At this rate, she knows that she won't be able to make it.

The edge of the city, where the buildings give way to grassland and forest, comes into view. Hope. She just needs to get there, and disappear into the woods. Hide in a tree somewhere, or maybe one of the leftover underground shelters from the last war, and keep discharging share energy until the airships can mobilise. That's her only chance. Her only chance to save her nation. Her only chance to keep on living.

It's a desperate hope - the shelters have mostly fallen into disrepair, and no tree is thick enough to keep her hidden for long - but at least it exists, and that keeps her going forwards.

"Just a bit farther, Neptune." she murmurs to herself, "Just a bit farther."

The whistling in the air warns her, but not fast enough. She hastily ducks to the side to avoid another attack, wincing slightly as the fireball brushes past her shoulder, burning through her clothing and skin, leaving an angry red mark behind. She instinctively acts to heal the wound, but stops herself - the burn isn't impairing her movement, inconsequential as injuries go, and she needs every single bit of share energy she can spare.

As she flies, buildings collapse behind her, crushed under the weight of the roiling wave of scales and claws. The city she has worked so hard to build goes up in flames, towers that had once stood proud, glistening in the sunlight, reduced to rubble. Even as she twirls to the side to avoid another attack, she feels her movements slowing down, and it becomes clear to her that she doesn't have enough.

She had been vain - she realises that now. She had been wrong to expect the shares to remain unchanged. For years, they had been a stable resource, and she had forgotten about how fickle the faith of people could be. Where there had once been brighter things, there remains only despair. The air around her is heavy with it.

As her people flee the capital, share energy begins to bleed away from her body, as if a small hole had been opened in an aquarium tank, slowly but surely widening, sucking the water out of the glass cage at an ever-increasing rate. The faith of a nation's people has to be earned. She knows this well, and has had it proven to her many times, but still, the ease at which her people turn their eyes away from her grates unpleasantly on her mind. Was that really all she was to them? A convenient shield to hide behind, to abandon at the earliest sign of trouble?

By now, she is far away from the centre of the city, and the green of the forest is so tantalisingly close, so close that it seems like she could reach out and touch the leaves that line its canopies. Even as her movements begin to slow, and her mind begins to cloud over from fatigue, she forces herself to continue pushing forwards.

Behind her, everything is burning. The alleyway where she had once hidden in to skive off work. The cafe she had first had lunch with IF and Compa in. The ferris wheel she had ridden with Nepgear all those years ago, when her sister was still only a few days old, so she could show her the city. It's all gone, devoured by the growing flames.

But even so, she has to press on. What sort of self-respecting protagonist abandons her people, even when they abandon her? Not her, that's for sure. She has her duty to fulfil. Besides, she never was the type to wallow in misery if things went wrong. No. She won't let something so trivial get to her. She'll protect her city, protect her nation, and protect her people. She'll win them back with her sheer awesomeness, just like she always has.

And when the time comes, no matter what happens to her, she'll hand a complete, thriving Planeptune to Nepgear. Grim as it it, that thought keeps her going, even though her body feels heavier than lead. No matter what, she'll make sure to protect her darling imouto until the end, like the cool big sis she is.

But she's not going to make it. Her vision is already clouding over, her consciousness only barely hanging on as the strength continues to drain from her body. Her eyes open and close, and she feels herself slowly dropping through the air as her wings begin to give out.

A leaf blows onto her face, fanned by the winds caused by the fires burning all around her.

The forest. She's here. Desperately, she puts on one last burst of speed, coming to a rest on top of a tree. Her body collapses into a prone position, slowly regaining its strength as she lies there, gasping for breath. Too slowly.

That's when the fireball hits her.

Too tired to dodge, her body is flung off of the branch and onto the ground, landing with a disturbingly loud thud. The bodysuit encasing the left half of her torso is torn off, exposing bare skin. Her head smashes hard onto the unforgiving earth, and a loud cracking sound, followed by excruciating pain, tells her that her arm is broken. Panting for breath, she forces herself into a sitting position just in time to see the first of the monsters step into the clearing.

Staring into the large, reptilian eyes of the creature, Purple Heart musters enough energy to force a smile. "Be gentle with me, all right?" she chuckles, sounding a whole lot like the normal, human Neptune, "I've just had the _worst_ day."

The beast stares at her for a minute, seemingly contemplating what she said, before leaning down and biting into her leg.

* * *

As Nepgear runs, she tries her best to ignore the destruction raging around her. She has no time to be distracted by it all. Not when Neptune is in danger.

She knows that she's being selfish, but to her, her sister is far more important than anything else in this world. So she forces herself to forget everything. The people screaming for help, the homes falling all around her as fireballs that had missed Neptune rain down from above, the grey cloud of ash and storm clouds that are gathering in the sky, around the massive, jagged tear in reality through which monsters continue to pour. She ignores it all.

In the distance, another flash of purple tells her that her sister has discharged another blast of share energy. By now, she ought to be growing weak, and tired. The very thing that keeps her alive, that gives her sustenance, is being forced out of her body in unthinkable proportions. Not even Neptune, as energetic as she is, can handle something like that.

But even so, the flashes continue. In the distance, a constant pulsing of purple, leading her to her sister, leading the monsters to her sister.

She continues to run, dashing underneath the legs of the towering monstrosities that are following the same beacon she is, their footsteps forming a rhythmic drumbeat. As she moves, she swings her beam sword in wide arcs, slicing into the feet and legs of the beasts in her way. Blood flies in a crimson rain around her, painting her white clothes into a ghastly scarlet colour. Once again, her vision begins to cloud over, the world slowly being covered by a red film.

Somehow, though, she remains in control. Unlike the first time, this urge welling up inside of her is more mellow, more familiar. It's almost as if it has become part of her - it's no longer foreign, no longer alien. Instead of forcing her to bend to its will, it simply nudges her gently, knowing that she'll give in eventually.

It's an unsettling thought, and she pushes it aside. Now isn't the time for her to be weak. Now isn't the time for her to doubt herself. She has to be strong. For Planeptune. For her sister. For herself. If that means accepting a demon within the depths of her mind, then so be it. Oddly enough, she now feels absolutely certain of this one fact - that there are things more important than being a good person.

Another pulse of purple light, weaker than the previous one. Neptune - she's growing tired. She's dying.

"Processor Unit, activate!" she yells, trying to take flight and by doing so reach her sister more quickly. But for some reason, there is no response. It takes a moment before she realises why - there's no share energy left. It's all running out. With Neptune's constant bursts for her beacon, and the loss of faith of the people, it's no wonder that she can't muster enough to transform.

Her footsteps slow. It's pointless. There's no way she can save Neptune with only her human form's strength.

Another pulse. It's weaker again, it's warmth no more than a slight tickle.

 _Oh? Are we giving up so easily, after all that tough talk?_ the voice in her head says, _I'm disappointed in you, Nepgear. I expected more from a sister of mine. Maybe I was wrong._

Nepgear doesn't respond. Instead, she starts running again, her veins burning with a strange sense of strength. Maybe it's because she's determined to prove the voice wrong - there's something distinctly infuriating about the contemptuous, goading tone that the woman addresses her with, as if she's taking an immense delight in her suffering. Regardless of the reason, she's running along again, and that that's all that matters.

 _Come on, faster. Is that as fast as you can go, future Goddess of Planeptune? Show me some speed, damn it!_

As she moves, the voice eggs her on. Power bleeds into her veins as it talks. She doesn't stop to wonder why. Why bother? All that matters right now is saving her sister. As long as she can do that, she doesn't care about anything else.

 _Huh. How selfish of you._

"Shut up." she growls.

The forest looms in front of her, and she can feel Neptune's presence growing closer, even as it grows increasingly weak and frail. That confirms her suspicions - her sister is dying. She can't let that happen. She has to save her. She has to.

Letting out a grating, guttural screaming sound, she jumps upwards, vaulting onto the nearest monster's back and using its head as a springboard. She catapults herself into the air, not caring about the fact that she can't fly and would have to land hard on her own body. Weighed against her sister's life, how can a few wounds compete?

The clearing. She sees it. A flash of purple. Neptune.

Steeling herself, she dives downwards, slamming into the ground at full speed, the impact sending shock waves through the small glade, knocking the monsters that had been devouring her sister's body backwards. For some reason, Nepgear realises that she's on her feet, and completely unhurt. There's no way she should have gotten out of a fall like that without any damage, but that's not important right now. Compared to Neptune, nothing is important.

Ignoring the gathering monsters, she looks down at her sister's mangled body. Purple Heart's hair lies sprawled out like a broken fan on the ground, her limbs twisted at odd angles, her left arm torn off completely and lying on the ground a few feet away from her. Blood runs over her almost-naked body and pools onto the ground beneath her, her bodysuit torn to shreds. Every now and then, she would shake violently as her lungs force themselves to take another pained breath.

And then, a small spark of warmth. Even now, as she lies bleeding and only barely conscious, Neptune continues to force her precious life energy out of her body, enduring the pain. She must have given up, decided to throw everything away, just to buy time for as long as she could. Nepgear steps back, her heartbeat quickening, tears coming into her eyes, blurring her vision and washing away the red film that had been gathering there. Her sister? Giving up? Somehow, those two concepts just don't fit together.

"H-hey, Neptune?" she asks, her voice shaking slightly as she kneels down next to her sister's body, "Neptune?"

Purple Heart doesn't respond. Her mind is too far gone, her life force to weak. All she can hear is a faint humming in her ears and her soul attempts to slip out of her body and into the afterlife.

"Neptune?"

No response.

"Neptune? Hey, Neptune! Listen to me! Neptune!"

 _She's gone, Nepgear._ the voice in her head says, letting out a taunting giggle, _You were too late. Too weak._

"No, that can't be." Nepgear yells, her tears blending with her sister's blood on the floor, forming a murky, pinkish solution. "That's impossible. Neptune! Wake up!"

And then, as if by some sort of miracle, her sister's eyes open ever so slightly, the bright blue glow they used to give off diminished into only a dull grey. A faint purplish glow surrounds her, forming an outline that differentiates her destroyed figure from the red sea pooled out underneath her.

"Nep - gear?" she asks, her body shaking, wracked by a series of hacking coughs, her cracked voice barely audible over the sounds of monsters gathering around the clearing. Nepgear doesn't question why they aren't approaching any closer, the pale purple ring that had formed on the ground around them passing unnoticed.

"Y-yes, it's me. Nepgear." she replies, struggling to keep her voice even, "I-it's going to be okay, I promise..."

"You... have to... save Planeptune." Neptune says, each word more strained than the last. Her body spasms again, and she bites down on her lip, drawing blood. "I'm sorry... I couldn't..."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Nepgear yells, grabbing onto her sister's shoulders and shaking her vigorously. For some reason, she doesn't feel any pain, watching her sister die in front of her. All she feels is a sort of numbness, and it scares her. So she desperately shakes Neptune's body, trying despairingly to awaken some sort of unbearable grief within herself. "You can't give up! You have to live! You can't die like this!"

Her sister's eyes widen ever so slightly, as if suddenly realising something. Shakily, Neptune reaches up and grabs onto Nepgear's arm with her remaining arm, pulling her in close. Her voice is unbearably soft, broken by short, pained sobs. "K-kill... m...e."

Nepgear blinks, not understanding.

"Kill... me."

"What?"

"When I..." Neptune begins, but she's unable to go any further, her body being shaken by another series of vicious coughs, cutting off her speech and spewing blood onto Nepgear's already-reddened shirt.

 _Kill her, Nepgear. Lash out at her body._ the voice in her head says, _Do you need me to spell it out for you? Let out all your envy, all your pent-up unhappiness, and then you will be free to feel grief._

"I-I don't understa-"

 _When a CPU's connection to the Sharicite is forcefully severed, there is a large release of energy._ the voice growls, sounding disgusted, _You need to use it. Now, before she passes away from natural causes._

"I... no, I can't-"

 _Nepgear!_ the voice roars, _Why are you hesitating? Are you really this weak? This is your one chance, damn it - don't let it go, you worthless, indecisive coward!_

"I can't kill my own sister!" she yells, her voice ringing out through the clearing.

A silence follows.

 _Very well, then._ the voice sighs, _I'll do it myself._

Nepgear blinks, confused.

 _You disappoint me, Nepgear. It may have been naive, but I expected more of you. Now, close your eyes!_

Unable to resist, she obeys.

 _Why do I have to do everything by myself?_ the voice sighs, clearly seething with frustration, _Why are you, of all people, the heir to my nation? What the hell was that idiot thinking? Well... whatever._

A pause, then a sinister giggle.

 _Nepgear, we are going to have sooo much fun. Banishment!_

All of a sudden, Nepgear collapses onto the ground besides her sister, her body growing limp. When she starts moving again, she no longer has any control. Her body moves on its own, and she can do nothing but observe. It's like she was ripped straight out of her physical form, leaving her soul stranded in the middle of nowhere as something else pilots it.

 _This was your fault, Nepgear._ the voice growls, _Thanks to you,_ _I_ _am the one who has to kill her._

She sees herself reaching down, grabbing Neptune by her neck and lifting her up into the air. Somehow, she's flying, and there's a strange power flowing through her veins - power that isn't her own.

 _I've always wondered why she chose someone like you. But then again, she was always an idiot. It's just one of the many things we all love about her, isn't it? ISN'T IT?_

Her right hand moves downwards, drawing her beam sword and pointing it in front of her, lining it up with her sister's body. Seeing Neptune nearly naked like this, stretched out like a rag doll, completely helpless, her breathing laboured, arouses strange feelings within her. In a way, it's almost... oddly... No. There's no way. She's not that sick. There's no way she's that twisted.

 _Oh, but you are._ the voice in her head snaps, _You are just like me, Nepgear, but we are different. Why? You are weak, and I am strong._

She sees herself throwing Neptune's body up into the air, and all of a sudden, it seems like thousands of glowing lines stretch out from her, spreading out in all directions. Her connections to the Planeptune sharicite, spread out like a map. Her own limbs glow with a faint purple light, just like Neptune's did when she had asked her to take her life.

 _Watch carefully, Nepgear._ the voice growls, _Make sure you remember every single detail of what you are seeing. Stop running away, and face the results of your weakness, like a proper sister of mine!_

Bang! The sound is as sharp as a gunshot, echoing through the clearing. Her body, still glowing purple, lashes out with the beam sword, cleaving straight into her sister's torso and drawing blood. Around her, the glowing lines shatter into multiple triangular shards, falling down onto the ground and then dissipating into nothing. A massive burst of energy pulses over the forest, tearing the monsters closest to the clearing into bloody shreds.

 _Watch carefully. Listen carefully. Carve this memory into the deepest parts of your mind._

Again and again, her sword cleaves into her sister's body, sending blood flying out like rain in all directions, tearing through bones and organs with sickening crunching sounds. Each slash is accompanied by a loud bang, like thousands of bullets being fired in perfect synchronisation, sending out purple shockwaves that flatten the trees around them and smash the gathering monsters into reddish splashes on the ground, their hard carapaces crunching like paper.

 _Can you hear it, Nepgear? These_ _disgusting_ _sounds. This is your fault, you know? So take responsibility._

As if wool had suddenly been pulled out of her ears, she can suddenly hear everything in perfect clarity. The sound of nerves tearing and bone snapping, the almost comical squishing sound of the dying monsters, and, most terribly, the sound of Neptune's screams, which ring out clearer and louder than even the bursts of sound that are ripping the monsters apart. She can't look away, she can't block her ears. All she can hear is the ever-increasing sound of her sister's pained screams, echoing and compounding in her mind, forming into a discordant symphony.

 _Listen, Nepgear. We are both sadists. You are just more adept at hiding it, and less adept at accepting it._

That's when she realises it, and the realisation sends a shiver through her spine - it feels good. Listening to her sister, her oh-so-powerful-and-elegant sister, scream in pain under her own hands, everything that was so perfect about her torn apart by her own sword. Even as she struggles desperately to look away, she finds herself focusing on the glistening sweat and blood coating her sister's smooth skin, the way her body twists and writhes in the air. There's no other word for it. It's...

 _Beautiful, isn't it? See, Nepgear? You are just like me. Admit it. Accept it, and it will all feel better. Remember this, Nepgear: This is you. I have nothing to do with it. This is all you. It's time for you to learn._

Bang. Bang. Bang. The gunshots continue to echo through the air as the lines around Neptune continue to snap. And, despite herself, Nepgear begins to laugh. She can't do anything about. Her body is no longer her own. She has as much control as a person watching a sick, twisted movie. And she's laughing, a cackling, maniacal laugh that rings out over the forest and the city, merging with her sister's screams and the dying gurgles of the monsters into a delightfully morbid concerto. She delights in it.

The red begins to creep across her vision again.

 _This is you, Nepgear. Accept it, like I have. You and I - we are more alike than you realise. This body is yours now. I trust that you will finish what your sister and I started. After all, you can't stop now, can you?_

And, just like she says, Nepgear feels her body return to her. The purple glow around her limbs fade. No longer is she watching a movie - she is the one tearing into her sister's flesh. It feels real, too real. And what's more, she can't stop. Even as she tells herself that she ought to stop, that she has to stop, her sword continues to dance through the air, eliciting more and more of those delightful screams, sending pleasant shivers down her body.

She's laughing. She's still laughing. Even as the blade of red-hot energy cuts into her beloved sister, she's laughing, and she's enjoying it.

Bang! She drives her blade through her sister's heart, and the final string snaps. The blast of energy is so strong that she's knocked backwards, slamming into the ground hard enough to leave an indentation in the unyielding dirt. The sound is deafening, leaving only a ringing in her ears even as the wave washes over the entirety of the capital, putting out the flames, obliterating the monsters, and leaving only a grey desolation behind.

On the ground not far from her is Neptune's mangled body, barely recognisable, hurt far, far worse than anything the monsters could ever have done. And, perhaps fortunately, her chest no longer rises and falls.

 _Oh, she's dead._ the voice in Nepgear's head says, _She's dead, we killed her, and you liked it. How does that make you feel?_

Nepgear stands up, and, shaking her head desperately, starts running. Running away from the mangled, twisted body of her sister, running away from the city that she's supposed to be ruling over, running away from herself. She knows that she can't turn back. She can never turn back. Not after what she has done. Crying, she disappears into what remains of the forest, trying her best to ignore the accelerated, excited beating of her own heart even as the voice goes out of its way to point it out to her.

* * *

When Neptune wakes up, gasping for breath, she realises that she no longer feels pain. All there is is a strange numbness, and the sensation of dried tears, sweat, and blood on her face. Above her is a dark, blueish ceiling, vaguely reminiscent of some sort of medieval dungeon. She's strapped to a cold, stone bed, bracelets on her ankles, wrist, and neck, without even a mattress to soften the feeling of the rocks digging into her back. But it doesn't matter - she can barely feel it at all.

Turning her head to the side, clacking sounds ringing through the air as the bones click back into place, she sees the figure of another, green-haired girl with grey skin strapped to the bed besides her. There is a large, deep gash on her neck, which is twisted at an odd angle. Unlike herself, though, that girl doesn't seem to be awake, nor does she seem like she'd be waking up any time soon.

"Where am I?" she murmurs, to nobody in particular, her mind still sluggish and her vision still blurred. "What... happened to me? Who is she?"

"Welcome to the Graveyard, Purple Heart - or, perhaps more aptly now, Neptune." a regal voice echoes trough the room, enchanting and alluring. "To answer your questions: We are currently located in the western section of the Underworld, directly underneath the town that you refer to as Celeste. You are here because you have died. The one lying on the other bed is one of my most faithful servants. Just like yours, her life on the surface world was recently ended."

Neptune blinks, then lets out a little giggle, as is something in her just snapped without warning. "Me? Dead?" she says, as if finding this all incredibly funny, "Well, I don't really _feel_ dead. What's that saying again? Something about dead men telling no tales or some stuff in that general area... and I'm certainly talking. So I'm pretty sure that I'm... still alive and kicking, not literally, of course..."

"You must have noticed that your senses are dulled, and that you no longer possess a left arm." the voice continues, ignoring her little outburst, "That is because almost all of your nerves have been destroyed beyond repair. If I were to do to you now what Purple Sister did to you on the surface exactly two hours ago, you would feel almost nothing."

"Oh-oh. I seeeeee." Neptune replies, beginning to piece together what exactly had happened to her, "So, am I in heaven now? Somehow, I don't feel like I'm in heaven."

"You are taking this news surprisingly well." the voice replies, sounding amused. "But then again, I supposed that is to be expected."

"Glad to hear that my reputation proceeds me. Neptune, protagonist of protagonists, the most stupidly happy person you will ever meet, at your service."

"You may be wondering exactly what is going on."

"Oh, yes, definitely. I'd really, really, really appreciate it if-"

"Be quiet." the voice growls, "You will only speak when spoken to. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." Neptune mumbles, the thought to disagree with this woman not even crossing her mind. There's something so overwhelmingly authoritative about the way she speaks that the possibility of disobedience is nonexistent.

"Tell me what you remember." the voice commands.

"Well, I remember screaming like crazy while being killed by Nepgear. Everything after that is just blank. I've got to say, I didn't expect her to take after her _big_ big sister... oh, right. How's _she_ doing? If this is the afterlife, I assume she'd be here somewhere."

"This is no afterlife. It is nothing more than a different plane of existence, separated from yours by only the thinnest of walls." the voice says, "The Iris Heart of _your_ dimension is irreversibly, eternally dead. Her soul rests in relative peace, alongside those of your other predecessors. If you choose to forgo the deal that I am about to offer you, you will gain the privilege of joining her."

"Wait, wait, hold up a minute. This little brain of mine is having a bit of trouble-"

"Quiet. There exists another Iris Heart in your reality. She is not like the one that you once knew, and, at least for now, she is beyond the scope of even my powers. Perhaps, one day, you will be able to meet her once again. I am positive that the time will come."

"Oo-kayyyy."

"I trust that you have many concerns about the current state of affairs on the surface world." the voice says.

"Yep, that's right. I'd also really dig some pudding."

"The Nation of Purple, over which you once ruled, remains intact - the shock waves caused by your severance from the Sharicite has successfully brought the invasion under control. The Tome of the World has assumed command, and she is ensuring that things run smoothly, while keeping news of your death from the general population. Your sister has fled the city. There has yet to be any attempt to search for her. Her mental state remains unstable."

"The Nation of Green has crowned a new Console Patron Unit, coded as 'Cobalt'. Like the Iris Heart that is currently living, she is not of this world, a fact that you are without doubt aware of. They are, as of now, under the protection of the twisted remains of your eldest sister, and the situation there is under control, if only temporarily."

"Hold up, there is _absolutely_ _no way_ that you're talking about who I think you're talking ab-"

"You will speak only when spoken to." the voice repeats, cutting her off. "In the Nation of White, CPU White Heart, under the influence of an unknown entity, is mobilising for war. I can only guess at the identity of this threat, and it is not something that I can reveal to you. Both White Sisters and the Lowee Oracle have fled the nation. By the time the day breaks, White Heart will declare war on all of Gamindustri."

The voice stops there, causing the room to fall into silence, broken only by the faint crackling of the torches that illuminate it.

"And... about Noirey?"

"The one that you love and her nation are-"

"H-h-hold up a second, I never said anything about-"

"Currently under my protection. The two of us have come to a mutual understanding." the voice continues, ignoring her interruption for the second or third time. "She has offered me the opportunity to influence the surface world in ways that were previously inaccessible. In return, I have deployed one of my most trusted and powerful servants there, and he will guard the cities. As long as he remains living, no harm will befall Lastation. Black Heart herself is in perfect physical health, although the same can not be said for her mental state. Another servant of mine is holding Black Sister."

"You've got _Uni_ down here?"

"That is correct."

Another stunned silence.

"Wow..." Neptune says, awe apparent in her voice, "Just who _are_ you?"

"My name is CFW Magic." the voice replies, "Now that we have dispensed with the formalities, I will go straight to the point. I offer you something that I rarely offer to others - perhaps it is because I have taken a liking to you."

"My, I'm flattered. Please, go ahead."

"I am the gatekeeper of the Graveyard. And as an added perk of that responsibility, I have the ability to return you to life, with powers that you could only dream of in your previous existence." Magic says, "However, I will only do so under one condition. You ought to know this by now - all things have a price."

"You want me to become your sex slave or something?" Neptune asks, trying to crack a joke but still feeling slightly uncomfortable, "Because I could do that."

"Worry not - it is nothing so extreme." Magic laughs, "I merely require that you pledge your complete allegiance to me."

"...Isn't that basically the same thing?"

"Should you choose to decline my offer, then by the time the clock strikes twelve, you will fade entirely from existence, and join your predecessors on the proverbial 'other side'." Magic says, ignoring her comment. "If you choose to accept it, then I will grant you unimaginable power, and you, bearing my mark, will gain a second chance to make things right. For now, you will have complete autonomy. Find your sisters. Make things right with Black Heart. Save your nation, and the world, if you so wish. Once that is done, you will return to me, and serve as my knight."

"You have some _weird_ fetishes. I mean, I knew this guy who had a thing for cacti, but besides that-"

"You have ten seconds, Purple Heart." Magic growls, her voice overwhelmingly powerful, so much that it's suffocating in its intensity. "Nine. Eight."

"Sure, sure, I'll do it." Neptune sighs, attempting to throw up her hands - sorry, hand - in defeat. The bracelet on her wrist administrates a shock, as it's programmed to do. It doesn't hurt, but she loses control of her arm, and it falls back down onto the stone bed, twitching slightly.

"Good." the Queen of the Underworld replies, "Your cooperation is greatly appreciated."

On cue, the rings binding her in place loosen, disappearing into the shadows cast by the torches flickering on the walls. Neptune springs upright, her eyes darting around the room as she searches for Magic, wanting to know just what exactly this terrifying demon of a woman looks like. Two golden eyes meet her own, suspended in the darkness, blinking open and shut.

"You are free now. A mirror has been provided for you, as I reckoned that it's presence would be appreciated." the eyes say, "Call my name, and I will answer you. And when I require your presence, you will be informed." the eyes blink shut once more, disappearing into the shadows like ghostly apparitions.

As if it was waiting for the command, a mirror constructs itself in the air in front of her, pieced together by thousands of glowing shards that blink into existence like will-o-wisps in a misty swamp. On the impossibly smooth surface of the mirror, her reflection stares back at her, looking every bit as confused as she is currently feeling.

Her hair is longer now, reaching all the way down to her waist. Her white jumper has been replaced with a black one, one sleeve hanging limp by her side, without an arm to put in it. A long, impossibly intricate snake-like tattoo winds it's way down her right arm, starting at her shoulder and ending at her wrist. The skin that shows through her outfit is covered with scars of all shapes and sizes, although her face is mysteriously free of them. Of course, she's taller now.

And perhaps most importantly: "Oh, my, Neppers..." she mutters, looking down at her chest with a mixture of glee, perplexity, and surprise, "I think I've got boobs."

* * *

A/N: Okay, for those of you who actually care about this story (if you do, I'm flattered), I'm super sorry for the amount of time this took me. I had exams, as I've been going on about for the last few chapters, but they're done now, and I've had time to write this 'little' thingy.

To be completely honest, I'm writing this at exactly half an hour past midnight, I haven't read through or edited _any_ of it, which may be why it's (probably) a bit lower in quality. I'll do that, of course, but right now, I just want to get something out there, because my god, it's been ages.

Next chapter will either be Blanc or MAGES. Not sure yet, I'll work it out.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I really hope you enjoyed it.


	9. Chapter 9

**[1.8]**

 **{Blanc/Mina}**

The wind on her face, the whirling snow settling onto her body, the delightful chill in the air - Blanc experiences these things with an impossibly intense relish. Her body is on fire despite the cold, and each and every thing in the landscape around her seems to suddenly have become so much more beautiful.

The way the icy crystals on the surrounding fur trees reflect the light of the setting sun, the way the swirling blizzard covers whatever indents that remain on the earth with a perfect smoothness, the way the howling winds form themselves into an all-encompassing, otherworldly chorus - she sees all of these things, hears all of these things, feels all of these things almost as if they were happening inside her own body, acutely aware of even the slightest shift.

Even though she is a Goddess, she has never before felt this 'grand', this 'vast'. For a full two minutes, she remains floating in the air in her CPU form, ignoring the warm red lines criss-crossing themselves all over her torso and limbs, basking in the moment.

In the distance, the lights of Lowee's capital twinkle like stars, speaking of warmth, shelter, and, of course, family. Somewhere, in that distant city, Rom and Ram are waiting for her return, when she will hold them in her arms and comfort them with assurances they all know are false or at least only partially true. Mina is waiting for her there, trying to devise a plan to stall the invasion of monsters. And, of course, the warmth of her room and her bed.

But those things that she had been so looking forward to mere minutes ago no longer seem to be of any worth to her. Right now, she is complete - more complete than she has ever been - and she needs nothing, nothing else but this new warmth inside her, born of a contract she had no say in.

Regardless, it's warmth. Pure, simple, and oh-so-satisfying warmth.

 _You like it._

"Shut the fuck up." she growls in response to the voice in her head, even as she relishes the sensation of her voice ringing out, clear and strong, over the frozen landscape. "Tell me where the enemy is, and then we can have whatever shitty conversation you want to have."

 _South._

"That's awfully specific of you - we're talking an entire god-damn quarter of the world here."

 _Trust me._ the voice laughs, _It is as accurate as it's possible to get._

Blanc shrugs off the voice's comments and spins around in the air, before unleashing a spurt of speed and disappearing into the distance, the burst of energy leaving a conspicuous round hole in the blizzard around her.

* * *

Mina paces around the room, making periodic clicking sounds with her tongue and tapping her fingers nervously on her desk whenever she nears it. Blanc had been gone for hours longer than she had said she would be, and she's getting worried - after all, the last she had seen of the Lowee CPU was her being blindfolded and lead off to do some shady deal with some shady organisation in some shady place.

On the map spread out before her, a swarm of red blots out the southern part of Lowee, slowly but surely converging on one place: the capital city. They don't have long to prepare. If Blanc doesn't come back by midnight, which is rapidly closing in, she'd have to assume command herself.

It's already half past ten, and both Rom and Ram retired to their quarters an entire hour ago, leaving Mina alone to ponder the fate of her nation as she awaits her goddess's return.

Sighing, she sits down on her chair, leaning forwards onto the table, and closes her eyes.

There's something incredibly fishy about this. A candidate shouldn't suddenly experience a surge of bloodlust originating from the Sharicite. After all, the central Sharicite of the nation is made exclusively out of crystallised type 2 share energy, which is capable only of conducting positive emotion. That leaves three possibilities:

The Sharicite was tampered with. Everything she knows about how the Sharicite works is completely false. The influence wasn't coming from the Sharicite.

Each has its own problems. But regardless of which one it is, there's something decidedly malicious about the whole ordeal. Besides, this isn't something that's restricted only to Lowee - she had spoken to Kei, who had informed her that Uni had disappeared after shooting at a civilian. Perhaps most ominously, communications to Leanbox and Planeptune had been jammed. And then, of course, there's the unthinkably massive hoard of monsters spreading out in all directions, originating from the entrance to the Graveyard. It's almost like there's some sort of incomprehensible force determined to cause trouble right when stability is most needed.

For better or for worse, she's aware of quite a few such forces. Nevertheless, there's only a few amongst them who would be able to orchestrate something of this scale. As long as she can get to the books, she should be able to -

 _Use it._

The voice echoes through her head - ancient, powerful, twisted. The source - the Sharicite. Somebody, something, is trying to communicate with one of them: Mina, Rom, Ram, or Blanc. Immediately, she switches into action mode. If something's wrong with Rom or Ram, she needs to be there. Sure, Lowee has two CPU candidates, making them more lucky than the others in that if one was lost - no, don't carry that thought any further.

 _Why do you hesitate? USE IT!_

The voice yells again, the strength of its words stopping Mina in her tracks.

The blaring of alarms floods the oracle's bedroom, the swirling red lights bathing it in a blood-like glow. All around her, the conduits and wires connected to Lowee's Sharicite flare up in a bright cyan blue colour, and a large warning message materialises on the display in front of her.

 _Warning: Emergency Overdrive Accessed_

 _Administrator Permission Granted to Console Patron Unit_

 _Redirecting All Share Energy to Source_

Another chain of loud beeping sounds echoes through the room, and she whirls around, staring at the map with slack-jawed astonishment. Almost as if someone had taken an eraser and drawn a line across the display, a massive swath of red suddenly blinks out of existence, wiped out in the blink of an eye.

 _Redirection Complete_

 _Commence Cooling Operation_

 _Initiating Shutdown._

Then, the lights extinguish themselves, and the entirety of the basilicom is enveloped in darkness.

* * *

Blanc watches the monsters swarm around her with wrathful eyes. Now that she has arrived, she realises why the voice had neglected to specify a direction other than 'south' - there would have been no need. The hoard of monsters sweeping over the frozen land in front of her might have been able to cover the entirety of Lowee if they aren't bunched together like sardines in a can.

There's something very oddly infuriating about the way the hunched figures of the beasts tread lethargically onwards in the snow, their reptilian bodies unused to the cold. It's like watching a dying bug squirm around on the floor of your room - it's so pathetic that you just _have_ to get rid of it somehow.

She raises her arm, and watches as a dark purple flame flares into existence around it, lighting up the night sky and sending a wave of heat over her cold, frostbitten body, washing away the pain and healing the deadened patches of skin. CPU or not, a single, skintight leotard isn't much protection against the cold.

The flame dances like a creature with a life of its own, terrifying and unnatural.

Suddenly, without warning, and for the first time in decades, she feels afraid. Her heartbeat quickens, and a sinister darkness creeps into the edges of her vision, darkening her already blackened world. The flame continues to dance, hypnotic, enchanting. She tries to say something, to curse at the damned aura, but her voice catches in her throat, and all of a sudden the reality is terrifyingly, blindingly clear to her - merely hours ago, she had gotten involved in something that's far, far too dangerous.

 _Are we getting cold feet now?_ the voice resonates through her head, full of contempt. _I was wrong to expect more from a CPU._

"F-Fuck off." she growls, gritting her teeth and hating how unsteady her voice is. The flame around her arm continues to dance, taunting her with constant reminders of just how far beyond her control it is. The sensation of fear continues to grow.

 _Coward._ the voice continues, _Your indecisiveness disgusts me. Here you stand, holding my power in your hands. My power - one that can tear apart the very fabric of all worlds! One that people have and will continue to kill for! Use it._

She doesn't reply.

 _Why do you hesitate?_ the voice commands, sending fiery jolts of pain surging through her body, _USE IT!_

Without warning, all the strength drains from her, and she plummets down to the ground, slamming headfirst into the snow. It cushions her landing, but not by much - that much is evident by the sharp cracking sound of broken bones and the searing pain in her lungs. Coughing up blood, she forces herself into a kneeling position, desperately willing her body to move.

The monsters slowly trudge forwards in the snow, their lumbering walk now a whole lot more threatening. Their bodies tower over her prone form, warm breath forming a billowing fog as they move. She watches them approach, trying to move but unable to, held in place by fatigue and agony. Completely helpless.

 _You are weak, White Heart. Just like the others. But that need not be so._

A wave of heat washes over her, dispelling the coldness of the snow and filling her body with warmth, dulling the aching. However, the respite is brief. The heat continues to grow, slowly turning from merely warm to a fiery hotness, and then into an unbearable, searing pain that forces her back down onto the ground, her arms collapsing beneath her.

Her vision darkens even further, until all she can see is her own, pale skin, and the red eyes of the advancing creatures, slowly but surely converging on her location.

The heat increases, burning at the insides of her body, seeping out into the snow around her and turning it into a slowly melting slush. Her body shakes uncontrollably, the flesh and skin around her right hand slowly beginning to crumble away, revealing nothing but a swirling, purple darkness inside. The crumbling spreads up her arm, creeping slowly onto the rest of her body. Her mouth opens, stuck in a silent scream.

 _This is my gift to you, CPU._ the voice growls, filled with hatred, _Make good use of it. Let it consume you. Let it drive you. Do great things, or you shall pay the price... in blood._

The presence fades from Blanc's mind, and so does the heat, leaving her crumbling body alone in the snow.

Slowly, the cold begins to set in. A creeping chill, seeping into her prone body. Then, again, it's followed by the pain: Intense, unbearable pain as the cracks race up her arm, tearing her body apart and leaving only an exposed, swirling void behind, fading slowly into the bloodstained snow around her. The vibrations of the approaching footsteps grow ever stronger, the ground itself shaking under the impact of thousands upon thousands of monstrous feet. Closer, closer, and closer again.

Her eyes grow tired, and her form flickers, her hair switching rapidly between blue and brown as the power drains from the openings in her flesh, disappearing as an ethereal mist into the air around her.

Her vision blurs. Indistinct black shapes. The flickering of flame. White, flying through the air. Eyes, shining teeth, jagged, bloody claws, blinking in the darkness.

No. This can't happen. She must be strong. Without her, Lowee would be reduced to waste. Rom and Ram, Mina, C-Sha as well - they would be gone. They would all be gone. She had sacrificed so much for this chance. There's no way she'll waste it.

Gritting her teeth, she forces the command from her throat, blood flying through the air as she gasps: "Emergency Overdrive - Activate."

The last resort, one reserved for the most desperate of circumstances. All energy from the Sharicite - the energy that powers the Basilicom, the energy dedicated to the maintenance of the divine protection, the energy that gives Rom and Ram life - it would all be directed straight into her body.

Without it, everything would fall apart in a matter of minutes. Rom and Ram's bodies - manifested Share energy in its purest form - would decay into nothing. The castle would collapse, without the Share-fuelled pistons and chains that hold it together.

But she doesn't need minutes. The power she needs is already inside her. All that's necessary is a short burst of energy - enough to bring it under her control.

Once again, warmth floods through her body, its cyan-coloured glow lighting up the darkness like a massive beacon. The cracks glow and then disappear. The unbearable pain in her chest fades, and loud cracking sounds echo through the air as her bones mend themselves. Screaming with the effort, she clenches her fists, and stands up.

The flame from before dances in her hands, but this time, she is the one that controls it. Grimacing, her previous pain forgotten, she clamps her free hand over it, straining against its heat, willing it to bend to her will. And it does. Slowly, it loses its undefined, dancing shape, forming into another, more familiar one - a massive hammer.

A new heat floods through her body. This time, it's not overwhelming anymore. Instead, it feels... good.

When this is done, she'll be through with those god-damn temperature changes.

She barks the command, and the blue glow around her subsides, the energy flowing back into the Sharicite. That had taken only seconds. No irreparable damage would have been done. But now, she's no longer cold, no longer afraid. The voice in her mind is gone. All that's left is the power flowing through her body, a power that, without a doubt, could, like the voice had said, destroy worlds.

"Damn..." she groans, shaking her head even as a wide grin forming on her face,"That hurt... like hell. But this - this is going to hurt a _whole lot more_."

Raising the hammer of purple fire above her head, she leaps upwards, and then slams it down into the earth.

The booming sound of an explosion blasts through the landscape, sending snow flying off of the branches they had settled on. Cracks begin to form in the ground around her, growing steadily bigger, until they become gaping holes in the earth, peering down into the endless chasm below - the chasm that leads only to the depths of the Graveyard, stretching downwards further than the eye can see.

Spikes of a blood-like crystal burst from the ground along the chasm, piercing through the hides of the monsters around it that have yet to fall in, ending their lives in an instant, like swatting insects.

Acting on instinct, Blanc raises her left hand - the one not holding her weapon - above her head, straining against some unseen force. With a low, terrifying rumble, the snow and rubble on the field around her bends to her will, raising themselves from the ground. Like thousands of moths flying towards a single light in the sky, they form into a swirling ball in the grey sky over the frozen wasteland. Growling with anger, she clenches her hand into a fist, and the sphere implodes, crushed by an invisible, incredible power, sending blood falling to the ground like rain, splattering all over her body.

In the distance, more monsters begin to converge on her location, their seemingly-endless numbers still substantial after the destruction that had been wrought. But they aren't imposing anymore, their hulking forms no longer inspiring the same, primal fear. Instead, they seem slow, and their movements weak. No longer a threat.

Letting out a loud shout, she raises her hammer again and swings it in a wide arc in front of her, sending a wave of purple energy washing out over the landscape, cleaving the bodies of the advancing monsters into clean halves, their blood flying through the air. Together with the purple flashing, it creates a bizarre, oddly entrancing display of vibrant colour in the colourlessness of the Lowee winter.

A familiar redness begins to creep into her vision. But this time, it's different. The redness - it's a part of her now. Just like her hands, or her eyes. There's nothing foreign about it anymore. Instead of fighting, she embraces it.

She embraces it, and laughs.

It feels good. To not fight against it for once. To allow the flow to carry her. It had been so long since she had last had someone to look after her - so long that she had forgotten what it felt like, forgotten the face of her sister. A million years. That's a long time.

Once again, she brings her hammer through the air, the perfection of its arc more beautiful than anything she remembers seeing. Once again, a perfect line of blood flies through the air, perfectly outlined by the swirling whiteness of the blizzard. It's perfect. Too perfect.

Again. Again. Again. She watches as the purple arcs fly through the air, unfailingly smooth, unfailingly sharp, as the red drops splatter across the terrain like paint. She listens as the sound of severed bone and the sound of tearing flesh flies around her, as her own laughter rings out in the midst of the blizzard. Gleeful. Happy. Content.

Again. Again. Again. The beasts before her fall like leaves in the winter snow. One by one, row by row, their lumbering bodies come crashing down into the white ground, kicking up clouds of mist.

Again. The sound of the hammer slicing through the winter air.

Again. The humming of the purple fire within her.

Again. Flame, talons, thunder, magic - her hammer swats it all aside like balls of paper. Even when the lights of her enemies' attacks light up the world like a series of all-encompassing fireworks, she remains unharmed. Invincible.

Again. The feeling of warm, crimson blood on her face.

Again. Red, swallowing her vision, covering everything in a scarlet film.

Again. Nothing can touch her anymore. The power flows through her, gives her strength, gives her warmth. With this power, the monsters are nothing more than insects. Insects to be squashed, punished for daring to threaten her home, her family, her nation.

Again. The booming echo of the attacks reverberate through the forest.

Again. With this power, she can protect the things she needs to protect. With this power, there is nothing she can't do. With this power, she can become more than a CPU - she can become a Goddess. A true, honest-to-goodness Goddess. With this power, Rom, Ram, Mina, C-sha, they'll never have to be afraid again. Her people would no longer have to worry. She would protect them forever.

Planeptune, Lastation, Leanbox - they would be nothing to her. No longer would they ever have to worry about war. It would all end. She would unite Gamindustri under a single banner, just as they had all strived to do since the beginning. And then, maybe, they would all be happy.

Yes. This power, this warmth that flows through her - it would make them all happy. Just like it has made her happy.

Again. She sees nothing. Hears nothing. Her entire world - it's nothing more than the excited pounding of her own heart, the exquisite red ocean around her, the sound of attacks powerful enough to level cities being broken like raindrops upon the flames of her hammer.

One final time. The last monster crashes to the ground, it's skull fractured into a thousand pieces, the sound of it's dying scream merging with her own laughter.

She collapses into the bloodstained snow, lying there, eyes closed, sinking into its soft, warm bedding. All around her, the dead bodies of the reptilian beasts lie hunched on the ground, the claws and teeth that would have brought her nation to the ground no more than lifeless pieces of bone and flesh.

This feeling - the feeling of unrivalled power, the feeling of not having to worry about anything anymore - she's never felt anything like it.

* * *

Blanc strides through the Basilicom's corridors, the sound of her feet hitting the floor ringing through the halls, basked in the red light of the alarms. All around her, guards scurry away, murmuring to themselves. They had worked here for years, all of them - they knew not to disturb her when she was in a bad mood, or when she had urgent matters to attend to.

Of course, the existence of 'urgent matters' doesn't mean that other matters can't be attended to on the way, especially if it's convenient to do so.

"Tell those god-damn technicians to prepare the broadcasting system." she commands, grabbing one of the guards by the scruff of her neck as she attempts to move away, "Have it ready by midnight. Sharp. One fucking minute late, and I'll have their heads."

She doesn't slow down once. Rom, Ram, Mina - they're all waiting for her. By now, the Basilicom's systems would have come back online, and the central map would have told them everything they need to know. But still, it would be good for the two of them to hear it in person. That they wouldn't have to worry anymore. That they could forever continue being happy, innocent children, doing the things that happy, innocent children do, unburdened with the task of ruling a nation.

As she walks, the guards move out of her way like animals fleeing from a wildfire. It's odd - they had never been like this before. Why are they so terrified? What have they got be afraid of?

As she rounds a corner, a young girl approaches her, timidly, almost shaking in her military-grade boots. "L-lady... White Heart?"

"What is it? I'm on my way to attend to my sisters." she growls, "If there's a problem, it'd better be really fucking serious, you got it?"

"I-i-it's your... face, my lady..."

Blanc stares at her incredulously. "My _what_?"

"It's your... your face. T-there's..."

"You shut the fuck up!" she yells, grabbing the guard and pushing her up against the wall, "At a time like this, you come and talk to me about my god-damn face? We just saved the entire fucking nation! Are you shitting me?"

Leaving the guard shaking on the ground behind her, she strides into the west spire of the castle that is her centre-of-command: the one which, at the very very top, her sisters are located. She'd have to apologise to them when she got there - experiencing a complete shutdown must have been terrifying. But she'd make it up to them. With this fire burning through her veins, she'd make it up to them tenfold. No, hundredfold.

The remaining guards all scatter. They're smart. They know when she needs her privacy.

She doesn't wait to knock. There's no need. Instead, she simply pushes the door open and walks in.

The reaction of the three people seated there is not the once she expects.

Rom and Ram, who are seated side-by-side on the couch, stare at her with a mixture of terror and disgust. There's no recognition in their eyes. Yelping in surprise, they jump up and hide behind the armchair, disappearing from view.

"R-Ram, w-what's that?"

"I-I don't know. But... don't worry! I'll, uh, I'll protect you!"

Mina sits there, slack jawed, for a moment, before recognition dawns on her face and she jump to her feet, looking decidedly panicked. "Blanc, are you... all right? Did... did they do something to you?"

"Of course I'm all right! What the hell is going on, Mina?" Blanc asks, confusion high in her voice, remaining stock still in her position at the doorway, "What's wrong with Rom and Ram? Did something happen?"

Uncharacteristically timidly, Mina takes out a small mirror from her pocket and raises it up in front of her. "Lady Blanc, have you... uh... looked into a mirror yet?"

* * *

The Lowee oracle stands there, holding the mirror up in front of her face like some sort of shield. If it comes down to it, this close to the Sharicite, she would be strong enough to face Blanc in direct combat. But for more reasons than one, she hopes that it wouldn't come down to that.

As her Goddess stands there, her face expressing no emotion other than pure shock, the two candidates of her nation raise their heads above their hiding place.

"Mina?" Ram asks, unnaturally hesitant, "Is that... our sister?"

Forcing herself to retain her composure, Mina turns around and smiles at the girl. "Yes," she says, trying for as reassuring a tone as she can muster, "It's Blanc. Your sister's back."

But in her heart, she knows that it's not true. The Blanc standing before them now is in no way the same as the one who had left them mere hours ago. Something inside her has changed, something irreversible. It doesn't take an expert to see that, and for better or for worse, she _is_ an expert.

* * *

One look in the mirror is all it takes to shatter Blanc's feeling of peace. All of a sudden, she feels nothing more than fear - that, primal, desperate urge to flee as fast as possible from something that can not be fled from.

A red liquid drips down from all over her body and her bloodstained clothes, forming into a small pool underneath her feet. The entire left side of her face is covered a twisting, constantly shifting purple mark, only her left eye remaining the same as it was before. The single letter T, written in an archaic script, runs down her left sleeve.

But beyond her appearance, she knows that something else has changed. Something has been lost. Now that she thinks about it, she should have expected it. After all, she had made a deal with the devil, and all deals have a price. Without any warning, her body goes limp, and she collapses into a kneeling position, gasping for breath. For a brief moment, her head feels completely and totally clear.

"H-holy... shit..." she mutters, speaking fast and in a terrified, shaking voice, "What... what did I do? H-hey, Mina, tell me. What's... going on?"

No answer.

That's when she realises. The past few hours had gone by in a reddish haze. It would have taken her at least fifty minutes to fly back to the Basilicom, and far longer to slaughter all the monsters that had attacked her nation. So why - why doesn't she remember any of it? Did she lose herself, just like the voice had told her she would?

"That red..." she continues, letting out a short, unsteady laugh, "S-say, Mina... don't tell me... that there are no alarms... going off right... right now? No... fucking... alarms?"

Mina, Rom, and Ram - they do nothing more than just stare at her. The blood continues to pool around her legs, seeping into the woollen carpet and the wooden floor beneath. It's oddly warm to the touch.

"R-Rom... Ra-Ram..." she continues, the laughter seeping out of her despite herself, "Ha... do you still know... ha... know... who I am? I know... I'm a mess... but..."

Neither one of the two twins respond, but their eyes say everything that needs to be said.

 _I told you so._ the voice from before says. _We had a deal, White Heart. You have saved your nation. Now, you fulfil your end of the bargain. You give me everything._

Once again, her vision begins to cloud, and this time, she no longer feels in control. It's even more foreign, even more invasive than before. There is no draw to that redness anymore - nothing more than the desperate desire to flee, to get away. Despite herself, a small yelp of terror escapes her mouth.

That very sound, though, seems to have been enough to snap her out of it, at least for now. In the mirror, her face flashes in between the colour of skin and the swirling purple, before finally settling on the former. The red fades again.

"Mina... you two... c-come here." she murmurs, spreading out her shaking arms, beckoning them to her, "I've got... something important... to... ha... to tell you."

The three of them come towards her. Hesitantly, unsurely. The redness once again creeps into her vision, but desperately, she beats it back. She can't keep it away forever - she knows that, better than anyone. But she doesn't need forever. Just a few minutes. A few minutes, to save her family. From herself.

 _Pathetic. You are a pathetic creature, White Heart. Just like the rest of them._

Reaching forward, she brings her arms around the shivering bodies of her sisters and draws them into a hug. Their warmth flows into her, more pure, more nourishing than everything else. They squirm as the blood on her coat drips onto them, but they don't attempt to break away. Thank the gods.

"Listen... I made a... a shitty deal... a shitty lady." she says, running her fingers through their hair. At best, this would be the last time she'd ever see them. "I fucked up hard... so... she's... she's coming... to get me."

Rom and Ram stare at her. Suddenly, the childlike decor of the room seems odd to her. The warm, pastel shades on the furniture and walls, the round, fluffy, inviting shapes that lack any of the hard edges she has grown so used to. For a moment, the bedroom she had once avoided for its overwhelming innocence and warmth is like a paradise to her.

"So... ha... I need you to... run away." she continues, "Mina will... take care of you... until I get better."

 _How touching._ the voice laughs, _I give you fifteen seconds. Then, I will take you for my own._

"Mina... take them." she growls, pushing the twins away from her, "I know... this makes no sense... but take them... and get the fuck out... of here... as fast... as you can."

 _Five. Four._

"W-wait, Blanc... what's-"

"Shut the fuck up... and go!" she yells, calling her hammer - the normal one, the one without purple fire - into her right hand. Just as her Oracle grabs her sisters and conjures a shield, she slams the weapon into the blue orb that has barely finished forming around them, smashing the three figures through the wall of the spire and into the snow outside. Their forms fade away into the darkness, disappearing from view.

 _Your business is done._ the voice says, _From now on, you will be my vessel. And together, we will cleanse this world._

As she stares out into the falling snow through the hole in the wall, the redness creeps across her vision again. This time, she doesn't resist. This constant, machine-gun cycle of hope and despair, warmth and cold, of pain and comfort, she's had enough of it. Besides, kneeling on the floor of such a homely room, watching the snow fall onto the city she had built - compared to that, there's nothing better to fall asleep to.

* * *

The blizzard swirls around the three figures as they trudge on through the forest, pulling their wooden overcoats closer around their bodies.

Mina lets out a tired sigh, her breath, along with Rom and Ram's, fogging up the air around them.

It's... cold.

When was the last time she had felt so cold?

The shouts of their pursuers draw near again, and she quickens her pace, hurrying the twins along with her. For the past hour or so, her mind had been scrambling frantically in search for some sort of explanation, and, more importantly, some sort of resolution to their current situation - being pursued through a snowstorm by armed troops that had until less than an hour ago had been on their side.

So far, all she had been able to come up with was a temporary, shaky plan: make their way to Planeptune, and seek help there. With something this sinister going on, something this _wrong_ , Histoire would have no reason to refuse.

The sound of gunshots ring through the air, but they keep quiet.

None of them had spoken a single word ever since Blanc had asked them to run and smashed them out of the tower. Confused and afraid, they had flown for the first few minutes, but that had been as far as they could go - without warning, their access to the Sharicite had been cut off, and with it the source of their power. The sounds of pursuit had soon followed.

That had confirmed, or at least added further credibility to her suspicion. Someone, or something, was taking control of the CPU, most likely against her will.

But despite this, Rom and Ram continue living. Without the Sharicite feeding them, their bodies should have started to decay long ago. That little fact gives her a glimmer of hope - maybe Blanc isn't completely gone. Maybe some other power is aiding them. And maybe, if that's true, there might be a small chance to make everything right again.

As the night wears on, the storm grows ever fiercer, blocking out the shouting and aimless gunshots of their pursuers. Mina holds Rom and Ram close to her body, trying to conserve as much heat as possible. By now, the guards are no longer the primary concern - what's more important is staying warm, and reaching their destination before the cold consumes them.

If they fall asleep now, they will never wake up.

She presses onwards, half-pushing, half-carrying Rom and Ram along. Without their powers, they're nothing more than children, and in conditions like these, it would be a miracle if they survived an entire night with no shelter other than the withered, leafless trees and her own body. Already, her legs are growing heavy, and her eyelids drooping. At this rate, they would freeze to death long before they reached the border.

As if to grant her unspoken wish, a light swims into view in the distance, through the leafless trees.

Fire.

For a second, she debates whether to skirt around or go towards it - after all, she has no idea who might inhabit the woods here. In their current state, they'd be completely defenceless in the event of an attack of some sort, and there are plenty of people who'd be interested in attacking the Lowee Candidates and Oracle. But to avoid the light would be denying their frostbitten bodies warmth until they reached Planeptune - still an impossible distance away.

Grimacing and without any other choice, she heads for the flickering glow.

The snow is soft, and it wraps around her boots as she tries to move, slowing her down. Her numb arms shake, straining against the wind and the chill. All of a sudden, the light that had been so close now seems unbearably distant.

Without warning, her knees collapse beneath her, and refuse to move again. Her vision blurs, and she clutches the sleeping bodies of Rom and Ram close to her chest, shielding them the best she can from the wind. As darkness wraps her in its embrace, she lets out a desperate, wordless shout, praying that it would be heard over the howling blizzard.

* * *

When Mina regains consciousness, all she can feel is warmth.

The warmth of a blanket. The warmth of two small bodies huddled against her own. The warmth of a fire, flickering a few feet away from her. Besides her on the ground, two more figures are sleeping, covered by a similarly black blanket, the darkness obscuring their faces.

She pushes herself into an upright position, glancing around her with suspicious, searching eyes. The light of the flame is blinding, and she instinctively looks away, trying to adjust to the newfound brightness. Rom and Ram are asleep underneath the blanket that covers all three of them, their bodies pressing against hers. She places a hand on each of their faces, and notes with a sigh of relief that their skin has regained some of its warmth.

A small figure sits by the fire, roasting a block of something on a stick, a lantern on the ground beside her.

"Boring." the figure grumbles to itself, "Cold. Nothing to do. Waste of time. Gust make no money here."

Mina moves to scratch her head, and the rustling of the blankets catches the figure's attention. It turns towards them, and the firelight illuminates the face of a young, brown-haired girl, wearing a giant, rabbit-like hat over her head.

"Oh, you're awake." the girl says, brightening up immediately. She reaches down and picks up the lantern, and then a bowl of something on the ground next to it, before walking over and kneeling down next to Mina. "Drink." she says, holding the bowl up to the Oracle's lips. "Good for colds and frostbite. Normally Gust take money, but stupid friend says Gust must give free."

Mina tries to speak, but no sound leaves her throat, so she nods in thanks instead as she takes the bowl and sips from it. The liquid tastes unpleasantly tangy and vaguely herbal, but it sends a satisfying warmth trickling through her numbed body. Letting out a contented sigh, she takes another sip, then forces herself to put it down, carefully pouring the rest into the mouths of the twins sharing the blanket with her.

"On behalf of myself and... those two, I thank you." she murmurs, nodding again and handing the bowl back to the girl - presumably named Gust. "Without your help, we would not have survived."

"Thank Nisa, not Gust." the girl replies, taking back the bowl and gesturing to the closer of the other two figures, "I will leave lamp with you. Rest. We will leave in morning."

Wordlessly, the girl walks back to the fire, and resumes roasting whatever it is that she had been roasting before, grumbling about something or other under her breath.

Mina takes a moment to bask in the warmth of the blankets and fire, then picks up the lantern and shines its beam onto the faces of the two people asleep on the ground besides her.

The first face is unfamiliar. Slightly wavy, navy blue hair, with a pair of black goggles strapped over her head. A long, red scarf lies beneath her head, acting as a pillow of sorts.

When the beam of light swings upwards to illuminate the face of the other girl, though, that is no longer the case. First, she sees blood - blood on the ground next to her, blood on her pale skin, blood on her lilac hair. Then, the familiar white D-Pad, smeared with a red stain. Letting out a small yelp of surprise, Mina's hands loosen, and the lantern clatters to the ground.

Nepgear. It's Nepgear.

Why is she here?

* * *

 **A/N:** Whew. Again, I'm sorry about how long this took. I'm irresponsible, easily distracted, and forgetful. That, and I was on vacation. I'd say I'll update more regularly now, but I don't want to make any promises I can't keep :P

A few disclaimers:  
\- I'm terrible at writing for Rom and Ram. For some reason, I just can't do it. That's why their dialogue is generally very sparse. My bad.  
\- I've never actually seen Nisa and Gust in the games before (never played the ones they were in). All I know about them comes from the Wiki and other fanfics. So I'm sorry if they end up being OOC.  
\- I haven't edited this, so there's probably parts of it that suck. The next time I have time, I'll go through all the other chapters I haven't proofread and fix some stuff, so... look forward to it, I guess?

Next up is Uzume and Uni, in Magic's dungeon of death. I've been looking forward to writing that segment for a while, since I love Uzume almost as much as I love IF.

Okay, I've been rambling for too long. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay, so I looked over and edited this chapter and the previous one. After midnight. In hindsight, that might not have been the best idea, but here we are. To be honest, it's probably something I'm going to have to get used to, since I'm going to have a lot less time, starting right about now. For all sorts of reasons.

Anyways, cheers!


	10. Quick Update:

Okay, so this is just a quick update for those of you who are still around waiting for some reason:

First off: Sorry.

As it turns out, I've been a neglectful, lazy piece of crap, and now I'm swamped with revision, homework, and general life, as well as suffering from a critical condition of a disease I shall name 'lack of inspiration'. I have some plans, but no idea how to realise them. So this won't be getting an update until December this year, AT BEST. In the end, despite how much I love these characters and this story, I'll have to put it on hold for now, since there are other things that are, quite frankly, more important.

When December/January comes around, I'll be sure to update with another chapter. That's a promise. If I don't, and you still want more stuff for some reason, feel free to spam my inbox or something with reminders. Preferably harsh ones.

Anyways, thanks for sticking around, and see you in 3-4 months.


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